Issue - meetings

Michelle McKay, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust thanked the Board for the opportunity to provide an update on the current situation.

In mid-July 2017 the CQC had issued a Section 29a notice which required the hospital to improve by 30 September. They were due back at some point in October, for an unannounced inspection, to assess the progress made.

The improvement plan that had been developed would provide evidence of the work being done to make improvements, but they must show that the improvement was consistent. Information was provided about how patient flow was being improved and peer reviews would be carried out across the trust. Normal work would be continuing and assessors would need to be able to see that.

A cultural change programme had been launched the previous week which was a recruitment and retention policy. A People and Culture Strategy was currently going through the governance process.

In the following discussion the following points were clarified:

·       Richard Haines had been appointed as Director of Communication and Engagement and was working on a public engagement strategy which would involve Healthwatch,

·       The hospital was very aware of the patient experience and care being carried out in the Emergency Department corridor. Work was on-going with the aim that there would be no more corridor care by December,

·       Capital investment was being used to develop streaming of patients so that in future 25-30% of emergency patients would go through the new pathway rather than the emergency department,

·       Recruitment was an issue with the County Council as well as the hospital. Michelle McKay said she was surprised that Worcestershire's nursing vacancy rate was not bad when concerned to the regional figure. All the local health organisations were competing for the same pool of staff,

·       With Winter Pressures looming, Board Members felt more should be done to inform the public about appropriate use of the Accident and Emergency department. Michelle agreed that communications were planned to address that issue and also what the community could do for themselves, such as have the flu vaccine,

·       The Chairman felt that more could be done to tell people about Minor Injuries Units, such as the one in Evesham.

RESOLVED that the Health and Well-being Board noted this update about Worcestershire Acute Hospital performance and the CQC