Children’s hospital ‘caring and safe’

The Care Quality Commission said Sheffield Children’s Hospital is “safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led”.

Its palliative and end-of-life care was rated “outstanding”, while A&E, surgery, critical care, neonatal services, and outpatients were rated “good”.

The hospital, one of only four dedicated to children in the UK which provides care to youngsters across South Yorkshire and in some cases nationally, was told some improvements were needed, with too few doctors on duty between midnight and 8am in A&E.

In a report published today, inspectors said the hospital must be staffed out of hours by enough competent staff, consultant cover in critical care needed to be sufficient and it needed to carry out a review to ensure children had their ongoing care reviewed by a consultant following their initial appointment.

The Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Prof Sir Mike Richards, said other hospitals would benefit from learning more about its palliative and end-of-life care.

He said: “Staff told us that that they felt valued and enjoyed their work, and patients told inspectors that they felt cared for and had faith in staff.

“Despite our positive findings, there are some areas where the trust can improve, most notably in ensuring there is always enough staff cover out of hours particularly in A&E.”

Hospital chief executive Simon Morritt said: “We are proud of what we do, so I am pleased that they have recognised the dedication and commitment of our staff to provide good care for every child, every day. Where areas for improvement have been identified we are taking immediate action, as we continue to strive to offer the best possible care for our young patients.”