Hospitals ordered to improve after inspectors find cause for ‘real concern’

The trust, which runs Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Goole hospitals, has been told to make improvements after the Care Quality Commission described the findings of unannounced inspections in February as “a real concern”.

The revelations came as a three-day visit by inspectors investigating higher than expected death rates at the hospitals ended.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust were found not to be meeting care and welfare standards at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, and Scunthorpe.

All three were also found failing in meeting training and supervision standards. Grimsby also failed a standard relating to records.

The trust has had four instances in four years where death rates for stroke patients were higher than expected. At Grimsby inspectors found inconsistent records in the stroke unit and were unable to say whether patients had been given full care. In one instance a patients hadn’t been given previously prescribed medicines, which may have impacted on their condition. In another a patient with swallowing difficulties was given a meal which “could have posed a serious risk to the patient’s health.”

Staff said pressure of work led to shortfalls in basic care which gave them cause for concern and the amount of movement of non-stroke patients onto the stroke ward “meant qualified nurses were not always focussed on nursing care.”

In just one week on the acute medical unit two patients wandered off, another was found by the lifts, a patient fell twice, there was a failure to isolate a patient previously known to be MRSA positive and a patient sustained a skin tear on their arm.

There were “significant gaps” in staff training, including resuscitation, and some staff were not getting the supervision or support “to enable them to be suitably skilled and confident to carry out their role.”

CQC regional director Malcolm Bower-Brown said the trust had been told where to make immediate improvements.

The trust’s chief executive Karen Jackson said an action plan was in place and many of the issues had already been addressed.