Health inspectors have been highly critical of the trust that runs York Hospital in a new report.
A team from the Care Quality Commission visited hospitals at both York and Scarborough and has published the findings today (Friday).
The CQC rated both the maternity and emergency care at York Hospital as ‘inadequate’. Medical care was rated ‘requires improvement’.
The overall rating for York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was ‘requires improvement’ – as it was at the last inspection in 2019.
In its review of maternity care, inspectors said: “The service did not have enough midwifery staff with the right qualifications, skills, training, and experience to keep women safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.”
They also had concerns about infection risks. “We found several areas of concern in the theatre areas relating to infection control risks. We observed ineffective skin preparation during a caesarean section which was not in line with manufacturer guidance.
“Staff told us one of the three birthing pools had been closed because of a positive test for e-coli which is a water-borne infection. However, the safety sign had been removed which was a risk as staff could have used this pool in error.”
In emergency care, inspectors raised concerns about the levels of staff training. Incomplete risk assessment and a lack of screening tools for things like sepsis meant patients were “exposed to the risk of harm”.
But inspectors found most staff ” treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions”.
Hospital bosses welcomed the CQC’s findings, saying they have been under “sustained pressure which has impacted our ability to consistently provide the standard of care we all want”.
The £18 million A&E department extension, due to open next week, will improve emergency care, they said.
Rachael Maskell has called for a meeting with health bosses to discuss the CQC findings.
The York Central MP said: “I know that patients will be concerned by reading the report. They have had to experience the long waits in A&E, sometimes described as ‘a war zone’ and women have raised many issues that they have had in their experience of maternity care.
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“We need to ensure that every service is safe and delivering to the highest possible professional standards.
She added said: “While battling many challenges, which are being experienced across the country, including workforce retention and morale issues, the trust has failed to get on the front foot in ensuring that those raising concerns, be they staff or patients, are quickly addressed and that standards are reviewed.
“It is time for the York and Scarborough Trust to get a grip.
“The report highlighted that despite many failings, the care the staff provide is still of a high quality, something that I constantly hear from patients who have used the service.
“While staff are working under unbearable pressures, they still care deeply about their patients and dig deep to provide patients with the emotional support and professional care at their time of greatest need.”
Ms Maskell said the government’s “failure to properly reward staff” was causing problems, and would be raising that in Parliament.
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