Medway Maritime Hospital A&E 'unable to cope', say inspectors

Medway Maritime hospital trust has been in special measures since July 2013

A Kent hospital's A&E unit is unable to cope with the number of patients arriving during busy periods and is putting them at risk, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed.

Medway Maritime Hospital,in Gillingham, has been in special measures since July 2013 after it was rated inadequate.

The CQC said it would be considering whether to use "urgent powers".

Its inspectors visited the hospital in August to follow up concerns identified in July 2014.

'Left unattended'

Following the August inspection, the CQC said it was concerned by the "lack of active clinical leadership in the accident and emergency department and the subsequent risk to patient safety".

It said at the busiest times, the unit was unable to cope with the numbers of patients attending.

The Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Prof Sir Mike Richards, said patients were waiting too long to see a doctor or were being left unattended while they waited.

The CQC has raised these concerns with the trust and local commissioners.

Prof Richards added: "If we had any further concerns about the safety of the service, we would consider using our urgent powers to protect the continued safety and wellbeing of people who rely on this service."

In response to the CQC's statement, a Medway NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the CQC's interim findings and are working with our healthcare partners in NHS England and within Kent to address the issues that they have raised.

"We share the CQC's commitment to the delivery of excellent patient care and are doing our utmost to deliver this."

The CQC said it would continue to monitor the trust closely and would publish the detailed findings of its inspection "in due course".