RCHT inspection: Medical wards 'require improvements'

The hospital had faced "unrelenting pressures for a long time," the regulator said

Medical wards at Cornwall's main hospital did not always have enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe, a report has found.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske in September following concerns received about the safety and quality of medical services.

The hospital trust has been told the wards "require improvements".

A spokesperson said it had appointed dozens more staff since the inspection.

The regulator found there was "excellent care" provided, but also "low staff morale" due to "unrelenting pressures" in terms of a lack of staff and beds.

Catherine Campbell, CQC head of hospital inspection, said: "While people could access the service when they needed, it was worrying that they did not always receive the right care promptly due to pressures on bed capacity."

The report found there were "significant numbers of patients unable to leave the hospital as they were waiting for onward care packages to be set up".

CQC report findings:

• Wards were busy and did not always have enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe

• Some patients were cared for on a ward or in an escalation area which did not specialise in their medical condition

• Due to the "unrelenting pressures which had been ongoing for a long time" and team shortages, staff morale was low

• Some staff said they did not feel supported, respected or valued by leaders

• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness

The trust has been told it "must" ensure that suitable equipment is provided in the escalation areas to meet the needs of patients.

It must also "continue to act to recruit to vacant roles across the organisation," and "ensure staff have time to complete training".

The trust was also told it "should" ensure all patients records were completed in full, consider an upgrade of some wards and continue to work with system partners to discharge patients appropriately.

The hospital system has faced pressure throughout 2022

Steve Williamson, chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, said since the inspection almost 40 additional registered nurses had been appointed as well as more than 20 healthcare support workers.

He said: "Improving our staffing levels will help to free up time for mandatory and specialist training and to support our ward leaders in nurturing open and supportive cultures within their teams.

Mr Williamson added that extra beds and assessment spaces had recently opened in the new frailty and same day emergency care unit, and they "continued to work with health and care system partners" on speeding up discharges.

The CQC acknowledged the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board was "doing everything it can to improve this situation" and said it "would not hesitate to take action if needed to protect patients" in the future.