Barts Health NHS Trust has been placed into special measures by the health service regulator after a damning report raised questions about patient safety.
The Care Quality Commission found that there was a culture of bullying, low staff morale, and insufficient staffing levels to provide safe care for patients at Whipps Cross Univesity Hospital, part of Barts Health NHS Trust.
In a statement, CQC said:
“There were not enough nurses or doctors to ensure safe care was provided. A reorganisation of staffing in 2013 had a damaging impact. Staff were overstretched”
The CQC report found 15 areas where Whipps Cross University Hospital required improvements and noted that the Leyton hospital was also failing to meet national waiting time targets.
Following the publication of the reports, Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, commented:
“Our inspection of Whipps Cross University Hospital has highlighted a number of serious concerns surrounding poor leadership, a culture of bullying, and low staffing which has led to risks to patient safety”
He continued:
“Barts Health NHS Trust has not given sufficient priority to safety. We found frequent staff shortages and a reliance on agency and locum staff that increased the risk to patients. The trust must get a grip on what is happening here and on the low staff morale.”
Barts Health NHS Trust Chief Executive, Peter Morris, said:
“We are very sorry for the failings identified by the CQC in some of our services at Whipps Cross and we know the Trust has a big challenge ahead.
“Much has been done but we recognise that more needs to be done. We will take all the necessary steps to raise quality standards at Whipps Cross.”
The special measures regime offers failing trusts support to improve, with the first change at Whipps Cross to strengthen the leadership team by introducing a dedicated managing director, medical director, and director of nursing.
Morris said:
“The special measures regime is designed to aid service improvement by providing help and support where it is most needed. It has worked well with NHS organisations in other parts of the country and I am confident it will work here.”
