Hospital makes progress but told more must be done

Officials at Heartlands Hospital said it was "moving in the right direction"

The healthcare watchdog has found signs of improvement at a Birmingham hospital but says more progress is needed.

Following inspections in March and April at Heartlands Hospital, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) upgraded ratings for urgent and emergency care and maternity services, both of which "require improvement".

Services for children and young people were rated "good".

Dr Rifat Rashid, executive director at Heartlands, said: "There is more to do, but I'm confident we're moving in the right direction."

Urgent and emergency care saw improved ratings in safety, leadership and effectiveness, but Charlotte Rudge, the CQC's deputy director of operations in the West Midlands, said it had been hit by "extensive pressure" and high demand.

"Staff were still unable to deliver care and support to people in a timely manner," she said.

Maternity services had improved in leadership, but remained "inadequate" for safety, with concerns around risk assessments, monitoring and surgical procedures.

Ms Rudge said "some people experienced delays" but staff "treated people with kindness and compassion".

Services for children and young people were rated "good" in their first inspection since University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust began running them, but inspectors raised concerns over safeguarding training and staffing.

Ms Rudge said children, young people and their families were "pleased with the care they received".

The CQC identified breaches of regulations in maternity and emergency care and ordered the trust to submit an action plan.

Ms Rudge said the watchdog had "told the trust where it needs to make urgent improvements" and would continue to monitor the hospital to "check their progress and ensure people are safe".

Dr Rashid added: "Our teams are committed to delivering even better services and experiences for our patients, their families and our colleagues and we will work with the different communities we serve to provide the best care possible."