James Paget Hospital passes CQC watchdog inspection

The CQC found the James Paget to be fully compliant in the area of medicines management

A hospital in Norfolk, formerly criticised by a health watchdog over standards, has passed a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.

The James Paget University Hospital (JPUH), in Gorleston, was found to be now properly managing its medicines.

<link> <caption>The report</caption> <url href="http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/reports/RGP_James_Paget_University_Hospitals_NHS_Foundation_Trust_RGP75_James_Paget_Hospital_20120522.pdf" platform="highweb"/> </link> said patients were "complimentary how their medicines were managed" and were told about medication "in a way that was useful to them".

A hospital spokesman said the findings showed JPUH "on the road to recovery."

The CQC inspectors, who visited the hospital on 2 May, noted much better record keeping, improved availability of medicines, positive changes to prescription charts and that medicines are kept properly secured.

Improvements 'too slow'

Interim chairman, Peter Franzen, said: "This report is a significant step forward and an indication that the organisation is well on the road to recovery.

"We will continue this work to make further improvements so that we achieve compliance in all areas."

The hospital was first issued a warning from CQC in September 2011 over nutrition issues.

The watchdog then failed the hospital on assessing quality, and care and welfare issues, in October 2011 and March 2012.

The warning notices of nutrition and assessing quality have now been lifted, with the hospital awaiting a further inspection on care and welfare in June. They will also be assessed on record keeping.

Chief executive David Hill said: "We have previously acknowledged that the pace of improvement at the Trust had not been fast enough.

"This has changed and achieving full compliance in this area is recognition of the hard work by our staff to make the required improvements and to meet the CQC standards."