Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 'requires improvement'

The trust, which runs Blackpool Victoria Hospital, requires improvement overall, the CQC said

A hospital trust has "consistently failed to meet" waiting time targets in emergency care, inspectors found.

But the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report into Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust deemed adult community services "outstanding".

Leadership has improved but performance in A&E has deteriorated with patients left waiting too long, the report said.

Trust chief executive Wendy Swift said "the vast majority of services" have improved.

The trust runs Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Clifton Hospital and Fleetwood Hospital.

The emergency department at Blackpool Victoria consistently failed to meet the recommended four-hour waiting time, inspectors found after their visit in November.

Patients were sometimes left on trolleys in corridors and there were not always enough adequately trained staff to keep patients safe.

Ellen Armistead, deputy chief inspector of hospitals in northern England, said there were "encouraging aspects" but also "some disappointing shortcomings".

She said the trust needed "to be prioritising patients more effectively" but managers "promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose".

Ms Swift said inspectors assessing adult community health services were "full of praise" for the "integrated care" and "kind, caring and respectful staff".

Key findings

• The trust's overall rating remained the same as the previous inspection in 2014

• But ratings for effectiveness and leadership improved to "good"

• It still requires improvement for safety and responsiveness

• Performance was worse in urgent and emergency care, with A&E consistently failing to meet the four-hour waiting time

• But community services for adults were deemed outstanding

• Older people's services had improved and team working was praised despite "challenges with staffing levels"