WATFORD GENERAL CEO HITS BACK AT INSPECTION RESULTS

The failures of Watford General Hospital in an unannounced inspection have been described as “minor” by the Chief Executive of West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust. A health watchdog team visited the hospital in Vicarage Road in December and found blood on the floor as well as problems with cleanliness and infection control across four departments. The findings are revealed in a report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which shows the hospital failed to meet NHS standards in five out of six areas of assessment. However, CEO Samantha Jones told My Watford News that the report also highlights “many strengths” including the respectful treatment of patients, the way patients are able to influence how services are managed and the fact that the “organisation is well run”. She added: “In addition, the CQC reported good feedback from the patients they met, with often very complimentary remarks about the attention and attitude of our staff towards them. “Unfortunately, the CQC have raised a number of minor concerns, including in relation to staffing, the control of infections, record keeping and the way in which we manage risk. “As a result, we have recently submitted a detailed action plan to the CQC which will also be shared with our Trust Board and partners. “We were already aware of many of the issues raised by the CQC and work was underway to address them.  This includes a decision taken by the Trust Board last summer to spend an additional £3.9 million a year to recruit 160 extra nurses. “We were also in the process of making significant changes to the way we prevent and control infections, with a specific focus on ensuring our cleaning teams meet the highest possible standards.  We have also put in place new training for our staff and our senior nurses undertake formal spot checks to ensure our wards and clinics are clean. “We are committed to providing our patients with the very best care and we will ensure that our action plan is implemented in full and will share feedback with our patients, local people and partners.”