Kettering General Hospital requires improvement

Image: BAUS

Inspectors have told Kettering General Hospital that it needs to improve.

An inspection that took place at the start of September by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that the hospital 'required improvement' in six out of eight areas.

The areas that the hospital requires improvement in are: Urgent and Emergency Services, Medical Care, Surgery, Critical Care, Maternity and Gynaecology, and Outpatients and Diagnostic Imaging.

Kettering General Hospital's Medical Director, Dr Andrew Chilton, said: "We are acting in the areas that the CQC found as requiring improvement.

"We immediately addressed the Intensive Care Unit staffing issue and are reviewing staffing levels of junior doctors in surgery.

“We are reviewing the leadership of end of life care and are in the process of establishing key strategic priorities to ensure the service we provide is of the highest quality.”

Kettering General Hospital was identified as being 'potentially high risk' on the CQC's Intelligent Monitoring system in July of this year.

This sparked a comprehensive inspection of the hospital between 2-4 September this year.

Services for Children and Young People was rated as good, despite the End of Life Care being branded 'inadequate'.

Kettering General Hospital’s Chairman, Graham Foster, said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors of Kettering General Hospital I accept the recommendations and feedback contained in the CQC report, much of which reflects existing programmes of work which are in progress at the hospital.

"I am confident that the Trust’s dedicated professional staff will continue to work closely with the CQC, and other commissioners and regulators, to deliver the improved service that the Board is committed to providing for the communities of North Northamptonshire.”

CQC did make it clear that they did witness several areas of 'outstanding practice', with the inspectors praising the caring staff.

By Stephen Matthews