Cornwall hospitals make 'noticeable improvement' to surgical services

Inspectors said surgical services had been improved across the Trust's three hospitals

"Significant improvements" to surgical services at Cornwall's hospitals have been welcomed by a healthcare watchdog.

Inspections of the three hospitals run by Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) followed concerns over seven never events, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.

A never event is a "serious patient safety incident which is entirely preventable and should not happen".

The trust was served a warning notice after an inspection in December.

Inspectors found RCHT had made number of improvements and met the requirements of the warning after fresh inspections in June, the CQC said.

They were carried out at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, St Michael's Hospital in Hayle and West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance to examine how safe and well-led the surgical care service was.

'Addressing our concerns'

The seven never events which raised the initial concerns tool place across the three hospitals between February and October 2020.

The warning notice was served after the December inspection and the CQC ordered the hospital trust to improve its safety record.

Although the trust had reported two further never events since then, Cath Campbell, CQC's head of hospital inspection, said it had made a "noticeable improvement".

She said RCHT leaders had done "exceptionally well" managing changes amid the "additional pressures of the coronavirus pandemic".

Ms Campbell said: "Although there are still some further improvements to be made, the trust has done a good job in addressing our concerns and making and embedding improvements since our last visit."

The overall rating for surgical care has not been changed, remaining as requires improvement for the Royal Cornwall Hospital and West Cornwall Hospital, and good for St Michael's Hospital, the CQC said.