Mid-Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust: Safety 'inadequate', inspection finds

The trust runs Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, the Dewsbury and District Hospital and the Pontefract Hospital

A West Yorkshire hospital trust has been told to improve after its safety was rated as "inadequate" following an inspection by the health regulator.

The CQC found nurse staffing levels "continued to be a problem" at Mid Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust.

Pinderfields Hospital, Pontefract Hospital and Dewsbury and District Hospital were each rated as "requires improvement" after the June inspection.

Since the inspection, the trust said it had recruited an extra 100 nurses.

A previous inspection last year found staffing levels in some areas of the trust were a "significant concern".

Overall, the trust's services were rated as "good" for being caring, but as "requires improvement" for being effective, responsive and well led.

Maternity services, services for children and young people, and outpatients and diagnostics at all three hospitals were rated as "good".

'Financial constraints'

Prof Sir Mike Richards, the CQC's chief inspector of hospitals, said: "When we inspected the hospitals, we saw that the trust had made some clear improvements to improve the safety and quality of services since our previous inspection.

"However there is still work for the trust to do to ensure that people using its services consistently receive good quality care and treatment."

He added: "The trust must continue to tackle staff shortages and ensure patients receive the care they need."

The trust said it was planning a £1.2m "recruitment drive", starting in the new year.

Jules Preston, trust chairman, said: "Of course we would like to see the Trust performing to the very highest standards in all that we do but set against financial constraints and increasing demand we have made demonstrable achievements.

"Rome wasn't built in a day and we still have much to learn from the CQC's findings, but I do believe the changes we have made since the inspection mean we are now providing a safe service."