Update from our focused inspection 12 November

2014

We carried out a focused inspection on 12 November 2014. The purpose of this inspection was to follow up on non-compliance identified at our comprehensive inspection on 25 February 2014.

Following our inspection in February 2014, the provider sent us information about the action they were taking to achieve compliance with Regulation 16: Safety, availability and suitability of equipment.

At our focused inspection we found that the provider had taken appropriate action to ensure that equipment was safe and suitable for purpose.

Overall summary from our comprehensive

inspection 25 February 2014

Whitworth Hospital is situated in the Darley Dale area of Derbyshire, just north of Matlock. This community hospital has one 21 bedded ward (Oker) with capacity to increase to 26 beds with additional staff recruitment. This inpatient facility provides urgent care and rehabilitation services for adults.

Inpatient services provided at Whitworth Hospital were safe because the Trust had effective systems in place to identify, monitor, report and analyse patient safety incidents. Learning from incidents was shared throughout the organisation and actions taken to reduce the risk of harm. However, we found two instances of out of date emergency equipment in use on the ward. We also found that staff were not following the Trust policy for the disposal of medicines.

The community inpatient services at Whitworth Hospital were effective. We saw evidence that staff put people’s needs first. We saw excellent examples of collaborative working between health and care professionals and families. We saw evidence that there were sufficient staff available to meet people’s needs. However, we found that low numbers of staff had undergone clinical supervision.

We found that services at Whitworth Hospital were caring. Staff were compassionate and treated patients with dignity and respect. They involved them in the plan for their care, treatment and discharge and also included their family members in these plans.

Whitworth Hospital ensured that patients were provided with the care they needed at the right time with the minimum possible delay. Staff worked hard to ensure that patients were supported to go home as soon as possible by community and hospital staff working together in a multi-disciplinary team.

The inpatient ward at Whitworth Hospital was well led. The senior leadership team were known to staff. Despite the recent changes in local managers staff had received appraisals, were knowledgeable about risk management procedures and proud to work for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust.

As a result of our concerns about out of date emergency resuscitation equipment, we judged the provider was not meeting Regulation 16, Safety, availability and suitability of equipment. We have asked the provider to send us a report that says what action they are going to take to meet this essential standard.