Countess of Chester Hospital needs to make improvements, latest CQC inspection finds

The Countess of Chester Hospital isn’t performing as well as it should and must improve in certain areas, a watchdog has said following unannounced visits in October and November 2023.

The Countess of Chester Hospital Trust received a rating of ‘requires improvement’, but the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report also emphasises areas where significant advancements in patient care have been noted.

Inspectors focused on five critical services: Urgent & Emergency Care, Services for Children and Young People, Medical Wards, Maternity, and Medical Care at Ellesmere Port Hospital.

The report awarded a ‘good’ rating in the ‘caring’ category across these services, reflecting the dedication of the staff.

Maternity services have shown progress, improving from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’.

The Neonatal unit staff were praised for their commitment to delivering exceptional care under challenging circumstances.

Despite these positive developments, the CQC report highlights areas needing attention, especially in Urgent & Emergency Care, Services for Children & Young People, and Medical Care.

The Trust has acknowledged these challenges and is actively working on improvements.

Jane Tomkinson OBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Trust, thanked the CQC for their report and the inspectors for their efforts during their visits.

“We are extremely proud that, despite the obvious and significant challenges we face, caring has been rated as good in every service the CQC inspected – this is undoubtedly due to the hard work and dedication of our staff and speaks volumes about the fantastic people that work at our Trust,” she said.

“We have a way to go but we know where the challenges are and what we need to do to improve further. We are already starting to provide consistently better care to our patients; all our staff are united in their determination to raise the quality of care and improve the experiences patients and their loved ones have using our services.”

Sue Pemberton, the Trust Director of Nursing & Quality and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, also acknowledged the journey ahead.

“We know we have much more to do, and our teams are actively delivering improvements every week. We are focused and will remain so until our services are consistently back to the standards our patients expect them to be.

“Treating our patients with compassion and kindness is a core value for our staff, and it is testament to them that this was recognised by the CQC throughout their inspection.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the patients and families who are helping us reshape the way we deliver care at the Trust by working with us and actively giving us their feedback.”