East Kent Hospital Trust must improve, watchdog says

The overall rating for the trust stays as "requires improvement"

A hospital trust which was heavily criticised in a damning report last year must make improvements, a watchdog has said.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an unannounced inspection at East Kent Hospitals Trust in July.

A report last year found up to 45 babies might have survived with better care at two hospitals in Ashford and Margate managed by the trust

The trust's chief executive said it is working hard to improve.

The CQC report, released Wednesday, said the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and Margate's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital "requires improvement".

Inspectors looked at the sites' urgent and emergency department, medical care, and children and young people services.

At the William Harvey, the rating on how well-led the service was dropped from "good" to "requires improvement".

At the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the children and young people services improved from "requires improvement" to good, as did the ratings for how effective and responsive the service was.

How well-led the service was dropped from good to "requires improvement".

The trust's chief executive Tracey Fletcher said: "There is, and will continue to be, a strong focus on the work required to put the trust on a more sustainable footing."

She continued: "We have improved how we work across the hospitals to support our emergency departments and the safety and experience of our patients."

The chief executive said it is important to recognise the trust's "excellent examples" of care.

In 2022, results from an independent review chaired by Dr Bill Kirkup CBE uncovered a "clear pattern" of "sub-optimal" care that led to significant harm.

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