Following an inspection in December, the independent regulator has told the Trust to make immediate improvements to the quality and safety of care it is providing.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust that it must make immediate improvements to the quality and safety of care it is providing, and has downgraded its well-led rating from good to inadequate following an inspection in early December last year.
During this inspection, CQC found the trust was in breach of regulations relating to good management and complaints, and was issued a warning notice.
“During our well-led and surgery inspections of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, we found that standards of care had deteriorated since our last visit. There had been significant changes to the senior leadership team, and while some had the experience and capability required, others lacked broader expertise,” said Chris Storton, CQC deputy director of hospitals in the north east.
CQC also carried out an inspection of surgery services in October at University Hospital North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital and Bishop Auckland Hospital after receiving concerns about the quality of care people were receiving. All three services have been rated as requires improvement overall.
It identified significant and serious safety concerns during the surgery inspection. These related to safe staffing, escalation when people were deteriorating, record keeping and learning from incidents. Due to these issues, the trust has been told to make significant improvements and was also issued a warning notice.
“Staff described a blame culture, and some told us they were actively discouraged from speaking up about concerns, despite the impact these could have on the quality and safety of care. It’s absolutely critical that the trust addresses this as a priority. Everyone deserves to feel respected and heard, and staff hold vital information that can keep people safe,” said Storton.
