Ipswich Hospital gets improved report from CQC

A report from NHS inspectors says Ipswich Hospital has made improvements since criticism about the care of older patients earlier this year.

In May, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said standards in ensuring patient dignity were not good enough.

The CQC said there had now been improvements in using call bells and help with meals.

The report said improvements in care are still needed when patients move between services.

The CQC carried out its inspection on 27 and 28 September and spoke to 45 people.

Its report looked at five categories of standards.

'Dignity respected'

Standards are now being met in the category of "treating people with respect and involving them in their care" - the area which was failing earlier this year.

The Dignity & Nutrition For Older People review in May said call bells were out of reach of patients, there was a lack of help with meals and patients had to use commodes by their beds rather than being taken to a toilet.

The latest report said: "People who use the service can be assured that they have their privacy and dignity respected and that staff provide an explanation of the treatment and care to be provided.

"[Patients] were all complimentary about the staff across the hospital and, whilst they said that the staff were busy at times, they did not get the impression that they were short-staffed."

Tim Roberts, regional organiser for Unison, said: "The examples which the initial report found were completely inexcusable, but they were still a very tiny minority.

"Some of our members were shocked that colleagues were treating patients in that way and workers throughout the trust have been working with management to address it."

Mental health needs

The hospital was meeting standards in three other categories, but there are "improvements required" in the category of "standards of providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs".

The CQC said this referred to delays for patients arriving in accident and emergency in getting mental health assessments if needed.

They acknowledged senior managers are working with the mental health trust to address this.

The report said: "Whilst there are action plans in place... further work in contractual developments between the providers and commissioners is needed, if people using services are to be confident that the care, treatment and support provided to meet their assessed needs is robust and all those involved co-operate to ensure this happens."

Ipswich Hospital said it would be talking to staff about the report before making a response in public.