The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has taken urgent action to protect people at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, following inspections at its emergency departments.
The CQC has placed new conditions on the trust’s registration. These conditions include requiring the Trust to implement an effective system to assess all children presenting at its emergency departments within 15 minutes of arrival. The Trust must also ensure it has the right numbers and mix of staff on duty to undertake triage and escalate clinical risks in a timely way.
The CQC requires the trust to provide weekly updates, detailing the progress of the steps it has instructed the Trust to take. This report must include information about any children who left the emergency departments without being seen, as well as details of any follow-up or harm arising from this.
Responding to the announcement, local MP, Lucy Allan said:
“This report is very concerning and shows that the Trust is still struggling to cope with the heath needs of our community.
“I will work closely with the Trust’s new management and board as well as NHS Improvement to ensure my constituents can receive safe and timely care. This is not the time to be embarking on a complex restructuring."
