New trust’s ‘inexperienced’ leadership criticised as CQC serves warning

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has criticised a new trust’s leadership after issuing it with a warning notice to improve care in its two emergency departments.

The watchdog warned North Cumbria Integrated Care Foundation Trust that patients were not always receiving timely and appropriate care, while delayed transfers of care had “resulted in significant delays in admitting patients on to wards”.

The CQC — which carried out focused inspections at the trust in August and September after concerns were raised about risks to patient and staff safety — added there was evidence of “insufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled, competent and experienced clinical staff”.

The CQC also said there was a lack of an effective system to mitigate risks, including infection control in the emergency department escalation areas and on some medical wards.

Of the trust’s Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland hospitals, the CQC said: “People could not access the urgent and emergency care and medicine service when they needed them and often had long waits for treatment.”

The CQC’s inspection report, published today, also said the trust had an “inexperienced leadership team” which “did not always have the necessary skills and abilities to lead effectively”. It added there were “few examples of leaders making a demonstrable impact on the quality or sustainability of services”.

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Source: HSJ, 30 November 2020