The Princess Alexandra Hospital

We carried out an unannounced focused inspection of the emergency department at The Princess Alexandra Hospital on 3 February 2020 in response to concerning information we had received in relation to the care of patients in this department. At the time of our inspection the department was under increased pressure. 

We did not inspect any other core services or wards at this hospital. During this inspection we inspected using our focused inspection methodology. We did not inspect or rate all key lines of enquiry at this inspection. 

This was a focused inspection to review specific concerns relating to the emergency department. The inspection took place between 12 pm and 7.30 pm on Monday 3 February 2020. 

There were areas of poor practice where the trust needs to make improvements. Importantly the Trust must: 

• The Trust must ensure sufficient provision of out of hours endoscopy service to minimise risk of treatment delay to patients who require to access the service. 

• The Trust must ensure detailed up to date records are kept in relation to provision of care and treatment and it is reflective of reflective of each patient’s full clinical pathway and include actions taken in response to individual risks.

• The department must ensure there are always enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care.