University Hospitals Dorset statement on CQC reports
10 March 2023
Our regulators the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected three of our services in September and November last year. These were medicine and surgery across Poole and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, and maternity at Poole. This is the first time that our new trust has been inspected since our merger to form University Hospitals Dorset. These new ratings sit alongside historic ratings for other areas that are likely to be inspected at future dates.
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CQC rated Poole Hospital’s maternity service inadequate and rated that Poole Hospital’s surgery requires improvement. Inspectors’ assessment of the hospital’s medical care did not lead to a rating being issued, so the historic rating for medical care still stands (good). This means that overall the rating for Poole Hospital is that it requires improvement. It was previously rated good. Maternity Services were previously rated good. See below for a list of frequently asked questions in relation to the Maternity Unit CQC report.
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No rating was issued for the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, so it remains rated good overall. Similarly, inspectors’ assessment of the hospital’s medical care and its surgery did not lead to new ratings being issued – so both remain rated good. The inspection did not lead to trust-wide ratings for University Hospitals Dorset as a whole being issued.
Siobhan Harrington, chief executive said: “I know how hard our staff are working, often under pressure, so it is disappointing to receive the judgements. However, we know that these reports are reflective of the challenges across the trust as we are not currently providing consistent standards of care.
“I do believe though that the themes within the reports are fixable. We have already put improvements in place and addressed some of the issues raised. We recognise though that there is more to do and will ensure we take the actions needed.
“I was very pleased that the CQC reports also highlighted some best practice across our hospitals, including the caring nature of our colleagues, with the CQC stating that patients told them our staff treated them well, with compassion and kindness.”
“In light of the CQC’s advice we now need to make sure we have everything in place to improve processes, management and leadership across the trust that have been impacted by the disruption of our merger, the pandemic and industrial action. With the wonderful colleagues I have across UHD I know we can do this. We look forward to welcoming the CQC back to our hospitals to show them the changes we are making.”
Some themes in the reports are in common with other trusts across the NHS at the present time, which we are working hard to address, including staffing and the safe discharge of patients from our hospitals when medically ready. There are also specific issues about UHD that we acknowledge and accept from the reports.
Rob Whiteman, chair of UHD, said: “We recognise that we need to have clearer and more effective ways of making improvements and learning from ourselves and others. Working with our trust Board and receiving insights from our Council of Governors, we will continue to strengthen governance – how we work as an organisation - and risk management. We have a strong ambition to make UHD the best place for both our staff and our patients and these reports will help us in this work.”
Reports
