10 December 2021
Today the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its report into the trust’s core services following inspections carried out in June and August of this year.
The trust’s overall rating remains at Requires Improvement. Beneath that umbrella rating, it is rated Good for being caring and effective, and Requires Improvement for the well-led, responsive and safe categories.
In response to the report, trust chief executive Brent Kilmurray said: “We fully accept that there remains much work to be done and we are already taking the steps necessary to address the issues highlighted in this report.
“The common factor in most of the issues raised by the CQC is staffing pressures. Easing this pressure is our biggest challenge and we are working extremely hard to resolve this. There is an NHS-wide staff shortage, and the problem is particularly acute in this region. This comes at a time when demand for our services is particularly high and we have invested in recruitment for a range of vacancies and new roles to meet demand.
“The pandemic has meant that staff absences due to sickness have been at an all-time high over the last 18 months. It is against this backdrop that our staff are striving to deliver the best possible care.
“Our crisis teams – the first port of call for those in urgent need – have performed particularly well to improve their ratings to Good in really difficult circumstances.
“That said, we apologise unreservedly for the instances where the high standards we set ourselves have not always been delivered. We are determined to change for the better.
“We are taking the culture issues extremely seriously and have put new management arrangements in place to address this, putting our values of respect, compassion and responsibility at the heart of everything we do, all aimed at making this a great place to work.
“In the meantime, we will work with the CQC to positively ensure that their requirements are met.”
The trust is already making progress with its ‘Our Journey to Change’ strategy. It is improving leadership, working with patients and carers in developing care packages, recruiting a wider range of different professions and disciplines to strengthen teams, using the latest assistive technology and fundamentally working to embed its new values to influence culture change.
The full CQC report is available to read here
