Hospitals ‘Require Improvement,’ Says Watchdog

Leicester’s hospitals have been told they require improvement after being downgraded by the health watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission has also told the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust it must urgently improve its surgical services at Glenfield Hospital.

Its report raised concerns about the length of time patients had been waiting for elective surgery there.

The rating for the trust, which includes the Leicester Royal Infirmary and the Leicester General has changed from “good” to “requires improvement” overall.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust says it fully accepts the findings and Chief Executive Richard Mitchell said: “We fully accept the findings in the CQC’s report and welcome the recommendations for improvement.

“Patient safety is our number one priority and we are pleased to remain ‘Good’ for caring. This reflects the dedication and commitment our colleagues show every day in difficult circumstances.

“We have been open and honest about the challenges we face in providing consistently timely and high-quality care at UHL. These include the number of patients waiting for elective treatment as a result of the pandemic. Through focussed action, we have dramatically reduced the number of people waiting over 104 weeks for care. Whilst we still have a huge amount to do, we are making progress.

“The report recognises the important in-roads made in terms of leadership, culture and processes over the last year – as well as a dramatic improvement in our financial governance. We are also on-track to receive our highest staff survey response rate this year, reflecting our commitment to ensuring that colleague experience is at the heart of improvement.

“UHL is committed to implementing all the recommendations made in the report, with oversight provided by the Trust Board. We will be working closely with communities, colleagues and partners as we continue to improve UHL as a place to receive care.”