Urgent and emergency care at hospital trust "Requires Improvement"

Urgent and emergency care services at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust have been rated Good for being Safe, Caring and Well-led by the Care Quality Commission. However urgent and emergency care was rated as "Requires Improvement" in the latest inspection.

The NHS in Cornwall says this reflects ongoing pressures of overcrowding in the Emergency Department and delays admitting patients to wards. A rating wasn’t given for Zennor Ward as it is only one part of the combined medical services at RCHT. 

Chief Executive Officer, Steve Williamson said, “The report on our Emergency Department is fair and captures the challenging circumstances our emergency care teams and hospitals face. It is reassuring to see the rating for Safe has improved to Good but we accept that, together with our partners across the health and care system, we have more to do to further improve our ability to provide timely care, even at times of intense pressure, as we are currently seeing.”

Earlier this month the trust declared a Critical Incident due to sustained pressure and a surge in flu cases affecting both staff and patients.

"In the seven months since the Emergency Department inspection, a great deal has been done to improve urgent and emergency care pathways, not least in the expansion and introduction of more community-based services offering alternatives to the emergency department or hospital admission. These include Same Day Emergency Care units in Bodmin, Camborne-Redruth and Penzance, and a new Single Point of Access advice line for GPs, ambulance crews and other health professionals to support them in directing patients to the nearest community services that can meet the individuals’ needs," Mr Williamson said.