A cautious welcome has been given by Andrew to the publication of a new report into Tameside Hospital. Earlier this year the Care Quality Commission highlighted some concerns relating to care and welfare at Tameside Hospital.

The commission has published a report which finds Tameside NHS Foundation Trust has made the necessary improvements to staffing levels and to the co-ordination of staffing rosters it had identified. But the commission also says that the Trust needs to continue to improve in a number of other areas.

Andrew Gwynne MP said:

“I am pleased that Tameside NHS Foundation Trust has had the CQC conditions lifted and is offering a better service to patients thorough more staffing.”

“It is a credit to all the hard work of the staff that things have improved in such a relatively short space of time.”

“Although some concerns remain I very much hope this will be the start of a steady improvement at the Hospital, although I remain cautious as we have been here before. It is absolutely crucial that Tameside Hospital continues to improve and regains public confidence.”

In drawing up their report the CQC requested documentary evidence from the Trust and made an unannounced visit to the hospital.

During the visit, on June 16, inspectors visited four adult wards, talked to patients, visitors and staff and examined the care provided to a sample of 11 patients. They found that since their earlier inspection, in March, the quality of safety of care, treatment and support for patients had improved.

Sue McMillan, regional director of the CQC in the North West, said

 “We arrived at the hospital unannounced so we could see the wards as patients do.

“We noted significant improvements to the quality and safety of care since our last inspection in March. No doubt a great deal of this has been due to the increase in nurses on the wards and the support provided to staff.

“Patients were broadly supportive about their care and we received very few negative comments from patients, visitors or staff. However we did identify some instances in which care was not to the standard it should have been.

“While we have removed he conditions from the trust’s licence, we expect to see continuing improvements in staffing, making sure patients get the right nutrition, discharging patients at the right time and ensuring that records are accurate and up-to-date.  The trust has committed to making these improvements and we will monitor progress.

“We would like to thank the patients, visitors and staff who provided us with vital evidence during our visit.”

In their latest publication the CQC find improvements in the quality of safety and care, treatment and support for patients. They report:

·         The trust has committed to employing an additional 54 full-time staff, most of which have been recruited and are staring work in June and July.

·         There was a permanent team of suitably skilled nurses on each of the wards visited that does not rely on external or agency nursing staff;

·         Patients interviewed were mostly positive about their care and said staff were available to assist when necessary;

·         The wards inspected were clean and well organised;

·         No patients on the wards were sharing accommodation with the opposite sex; recently recruited staff said they had received induction training, had been appointed a mentor and were receiving support from the ward manager.