27 Oct 2011

Patients ‘still at risk’ at lax hospitals

Patients remain at risk of poor care at two hospitals operated by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, a report warns – following a Channel 4 News investigation.

The health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said there were “serious problems” and the trust needed to deliver “fundamental and wide-ranging improvements” at the King George Hospital in Illford and Queen’s Hospital in Romford.

The report by the CQC follows a report earlier this year by Channel 4 News, which found that 12 women or their families were taking legal action over the care they received in the maternity unit of Queen’s.

Two women and a baby died under the care of the maternity unit – Violet Stephens, in April, after being admitted with pre-eclampsia, and Tebussum Ali, known as Sareena, who died with her newborn baby in January.

The report said that “despite some signs of improvement in recent months, patients remain at risk of poor care in this trust.”

Despite some signs of improvement in recent months, patients remain at risk of poor care in this trust. CQC report

It added: “While the most immediate concerns were around maternity services, failings were also identified in emergency care and in radiology. Widespread improvement is needed in patient flows, the management of complaints, staff recruitment and governance in order to improve patient experience.”

Responding to the report’s findings, Averil Dongworth, chief executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are taking the findings of this report extremely seriously and have already started work to implement its recommendations.

“This report marks a turning point for the trust. We recognise there have been failures in the past, but we are determined to continue to improve until we are among the best trusts in the country, giving our patients the high care they deserve.”

Recommendations

The report makes 73 recommendations – 15 relating to maternity care. It found “a culture among some staff of poor attitude and a lack of care for patients, especially in maternity services”. Patients complained of rude attitudes from the staff.

Its inspectors found that one woman had waited two-and-a-half hours for epidural pain relief. Another was told by staff to “hurry up and give birth as the midwife’s shift finished at 7am”, while another patient in labour was told by hospital staff to “hurry up or I’ll cut you”.

One patient told inspectors how she had been been sent home by a midwife, despite being in labour. As she walked across the hospital car park with her husband, two nurses spotted that she had blood on her trousers and insisted she remain at the hospital.

She later gave birth safely at its maternity unit.

“I was shocked that the midwife was not one bit sympathetic towards me and the agony I was in, instead she was patronising,” the unnamed woman said.

The report found a belief among patients and staff that the hospital could not cope with the current numbers of women giving birth there.

Complaints

Despite only being opened in 2006, the report noted that some wards at Queen’s Hospital did not have access to natural light, its circular design meaning that staff could not always see patients.

The Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust is among the top 10 most complained about trusts in the country.

The CQC report also identified failings in emergency care and radiology. Patients described the trust’s approach to dealing with complaints as “awful”.

The report noted “the level of distress it caused to some patients and relatives … was as bad as the poor care experiences they were complaining about in the first place.”