Leeds hospitals gear up for visit from watchdog

A team from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are visiting Leeds General Infirmary, St James’s Hospital and other sites run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust from tomorrow until Friday.

The visit is the first major inspection since March 2014, when the trust was told it needed to improve services.

Hospital heads say they have been working hard to address the issues highlighted and make changes. Prior to the visit, patients have been asked by the CQC for their views about care provided.

Julian Hartley, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This inspection is a follow up to the CQC inspection that took place in March 2014.

“Everyone has worked incredibly hard and we are really keen to have this opportunity to showcase all of the improvements we are making across our hospitals to ensure we deliver the highest quality care and experience for our patients every day.

“We have addressed all of the action points from the last visit and we are hoping for a positive visit this time.”

The last CQC inspection found that LGI and St James’s required improvements, with issues including staff shortages, especially a lack of doctors in evenings and weekends in elderly care, children’s and surgical wards, highlighted by officials.

The report ranked the trust’s A&E, end of life care, maternity and outpatients services as good, but medical care, surgery, critical care and children’s and young people’s services needed to improve.

The CQC is the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England and carries out a programme of inspections of healthcare providers.