Hospital assessment raises concerns

From the Guardian Series, first published Wednesday 31st Oct 2001.

A LACK of staff and old anaesthetic equipment are among the concerns raised after an assessment of Leighton Hospital.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals Trust has now published a three-year action plan to combat the problems raised in the Commission of Health Improvement (CHI) report.

The 70-page report is the result of months of investigations by CHI, which included interviews with dozens of patients and staff and a week-long hospital visit.

Simon Yates, the chief executive at Leighton, said he had expected the various concerns to be raised and put the problems down to a lack of staff and money.

Among the concerns was the state of the anaesthetic equipment, which has not been replaced despite a report from the Royal College of Anaesthetists highlighting the need for new machines.

Also mentioned were the lack of direction or support for staff and the extra responsibilities being placed on ward managers and other staff.

It was also noted that staff often had no time to complete training, the hospital had a problem identifying risks and the ever-cramped car park was mentioned too.

The report did note the staff's commitment to the hospital saying they were 'caring and responsive' and the majority of patients' comments in the report backed this up.

At a press conference Mr Yates said he intended to employ more management staff to tackle the problems with risk management and to ease the restriction on doctors and nurses.

"We spent £3.7 million on our management staff last year, which was the lowest in the north west, and they are saying this shows," he said.

Mr Yates added that the hospital would be looking for resources to put improved systems for identifying risks in place.

The chief executive also explained that Leighton's doctor and nursing numbers are below the national average and said he would be aiming to bring those levels up as part of the three-year plan.

"There are a number of concerns that come down to two things - staffing levels and the amount of resources - but we do not have any more money because of the report," he said.

"This action plan is not exhaustive and will develop further over the three

year period of review."

Archive Home