The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) from 12th November 2019 to 10th January 2020.
A team of CQC inspectors visited core services at the Trust including urgent and emergency services, surgery, maternity, palliative care, outpatient care and services for children and young people. Inspectors rated the trust as Requires Improvement for being caring and Inadequate for being safe, responsive, effective and well-led. The trust’s overall rating remains as Inadequate.
SaTH’s A&E departments at the Princess Royal Hospital and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and were also inspected on 17th and 18th February 2020. This unannounced inspection was undertaken in response to concerns raised with the CQC. CQC inspectors rated urgent and emergency services as Inadequate overall at both hospitals and over both inspections.
Areas of Outstanding Practice were however recorded in Outpatients at the Princess Royal Hospital and other improvements have been recognised in maternity services.
Commenting, Lucy Allan MP said:
“The CQC’s rating of the Trust as Inadequate will come of little surprise to my constituents but it raises serious questions about the ongoing quality of care in Telford.
Given the current coronavirus pandemic, it is paramount that my constituents can be confident in the Trust to provide the world class healthcare we are used to from our NHS.
It is therefore very disappointing that SaTH has been rated Inadequate as recently as 18th February. I will be raising the results of these inspections with the Health Secretary and the Department for Health and Social Care.
I have been encouraged by my meetings with its new management that the Trust understands the fundamental structural issues it faces, but there is a long way to go before it can hope to improve its rating.
I will continue to work with SaTH management and my colleagues the Department for Health and Social Care to find an appropriate plan for the future of the Trust and its hospitals.”
