CQC report recognises significant improvements at NNUH

Sam Higginson, Chief Executive said:

“All staff have worked hard in preparing the hospital for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and though working in extremely challenging times, our staff are hugely committed in their care and support of our patients.

“It is in this climate that we have received and welcomed the CQC report and we’re very pleased that it recognises the sustained and significant improvements that our fantastic staff have made in patient care here at NNUH. Teams across the whole Trust have worked tirelessly with skill and dedication to continuously improve and develop services. We also welcome the CQC’s recommendation that special measures are removed and look forward to receiving NHS England and Improvement’s decision.

“What the staff at NNUH have achieved is very impressive and the CQC has praised many aspects of care here from End of Life Care which is rated as Outstanding, Outpatients which is rated Good and notable improvements in Urgent and Emergency Care and Surgery.

“The domains of Effective and Caring are rated as Good, and the Safe, Responsive and Well-led domains are rated as Requires Improvement. This is a significant improvement from our previous report and represents a huge amount hard work, innovation and professionalism from our teams; at Requires Improvement overall, we still have improvements to make, but these results mark extremely good progress on our journey to outstanding.

“Other highlights in the report include good examples of innovation across the Trust; the positive impact being made by the Older Persons Emergency Department, and a focus on research and development as well as the creation of a quality improvement faculty.

“The most important thing to all staff at NNUH is working together to provide the best possible care and treatment for our patients, creating an environment where patients are treated with compassion, kindness and dignity, patient’s individual needs are respected and families are actively involved in discussions, and that’s what the CQC found here.”

David White, Chairman, said:

“We welcome that the CQC recognises that the board and senior leadership team has a clear vision and values at the heart of our work and a clear focus on safety and quality as do teams across the organisation. The trust’s proactive approach to working with others in the STP, region and further afield to develop care pathways, ensure sustainability of quality improvement as well as encouraging staff development were also praised. This is great progress on our journey to outstanding.”

Note to editors:
Other outstanding practice identified by the CQC included:

For the Trust:
• There was a clear and enhanced commitment to research within the organisation. There was a dedicated deputy medical director for research and an ambitious plan to significantly increase the amount of research conducted.

For Surgery:
• There were innovations in surgery which included the service development of intra abdominal chemotherapy. This would make the Trust only the third centre to offer this treatment in the country.