Whipps Cross Hospital Emergency Department - latest CQC inspection report
This inspection was carried out to follow up on the progress of improvements CQC told the trust to make at the previous inspection. Inspectors found that while some progress had been made in the majority of areas reviewed, further work is required. These areas include safety and waiting times. CQC has told the trust to provide CQC with quarterly action plans to demonstrate their progress in completing this work.
As this was a focused inspection, CQC did not re-rate the service and the previous rating of requires improvement remains in place for the service overall, as well as for being safe and responsive. Effective, caring and well-led remain rated as good.
Inspectors found:
- The department was still leaving people to wait for long periods of time following their initial triage to see a doctor. Some people waited up to ten hours to see a doctor in the waiting room after initial triage.
- Although people were being processed on arrival in a more timely manner, the service still wasn’t triaging people within 15 minutes of arrival, failing to meet national standards and posing safety risks.
- Staff told us they felt stressed as some people became frustrated due to long waits. There was 24/7 security introduced to manage people's frustration linked to long waits.
- People continued to be cared for in corridor spaces, and while staff had put up curtains to offer some privacy, male and female were not separated and needed to share a toilet.
- Staff hadn’t ensured the fit to sit area, for people with minor injuries, had privacy. The area was cramped, with chairs tightly packed together.
- The trust hadn’t ensured all nursing staff had received suitable training to support the significant number of people with mental health needs who used the department. However, the trust was working in partnership with external stakeholders to deliver a mental health training programme for staff.
However:
- People inspectors spoke with described staff as kind and respectful, even when the department was busy. Staff said they now had more time to engage with people, offering support during their time in the department.
- The service had updated and was following policies on medicines self-administration, observation, and escalation, helping to protect people's safety
The trust was working to improve the flow of the department and reduce the crowding.
See the CQC website for more information.
