Lincoln County Hospital criticised by patient care watchdog

Inspectors visited the hospital in November

Lincoln County Hospital has been told it must improve after "unacceptable failings" were found by a health watchdog.

A Care Quality Commission inspection of five of the hospital's wards in November identified shortcomings in patient dignity and staff training.

Inspectors said they were particularly concerned with the Clayton ward, which specialises in elderly care.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said it was making improvements.

The CQC's report described one Clayton patient as having been left in a degrading state for half an hour before they were cleaned.

Another had been in hospital for two days without being given a care plan. The report also criticised staffing levels and training.

'Real concern'

The CQC said the hospital must improve or it could face further action, including the possibility of prosecution.

Andrea Gordon, CQC deputy director of operation (regions), said: "During our unannounced inspection, we identified a number of unacceptable failings on one ward in particular.

"Some of these related to the dignity of people, accuracy of records, and the risk this poses, as well as numbers of staff and the support and training they had been given to do their jobs.

"These are issues of real concern and we have demanded that improvements are made."

A spokesman for the trust said: "We are extremely disappointed that issues were found on one ward out of the five visited.

"This is unacceptable and the trust fully acknowledges that there are opportunities to improve. We already acted swiftly to address concerns raised on this ward since the CQC visit in November."

The trust said inspectors had revisited the hospital in January and had given positive feedback on the progress being made.