Patients asked to give their diagnosis of Leeds NHS care

A team of experts will next month examine care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as part of a new wave of checks on services.

The trust is among the first to face a rigorous inspection and will be given an overall rating under changes introduced 
by the Care Quality Commission.

Eight key services will be examined by the team ordered in by England Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Sir Mike Richards, among them A&E services, care of the elderly, surgery, maternity, paediatrics and end-of-life care.

The views and experiences of the public will help inspectors decide what to look at when the formal checks begin on March 17.

Sir Mike said: “The new inspections are designed to provide people with a clear picture of the quality of the services in their local hospital, exposing poor or mediocre care as well as highlighting the many hospitals providing good and excellent care.

“We know there is too much variation in quality – these new in-depth inspections will allow us to get a much more detailed picture of care in hospitals than ever before.”

He added: “Of course we will be talking to doctors and nurses, hospital managers and patients in the hospital.

“But it is vital that we also hear the views of the people who have had care at any of the hospitals run by the 
trust, or anyone else who wants to share information with 
us.

“This will help us plan our inspection, and so help us focus on the things that really matter to people who depend on this service.”

Two listening events will be held at Leeds Town Hall and at the Shine Business Centre in Harehills, Leeds, both at 6.30pm on March 11.

NHS chiefs in Leeds yesterday urged local people to avoid going to hospital if they have symptoms of winter vomiting disease or flu after an increase in cases in recent weeks.

A spokesman said city hospitals were reporting an increase in numbers of people looking for treatment for cold or flu-like symptoms.