Regulator recognises progress but calls for further improvement from Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

The Care Quality Commission has told Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust that it must continue to make improvements to meet minimum standards of quality and safety.
In a report published today CQC concludes that services at Stafford Hospital are compliant with five of the 16 essential standards. The report identifies 11 standards where improvement is required.
The Commission says the trust has made considerable progress in the last two years. In some areas its concerns remain only because the improvements still need more time to bed in and for CQC to see the full benefit of those changes.
CQC has given the trust's managers 28 days to provide details of action they will take to achieve compliance with the standards where improvement is needed.
Inspectors will return to the trust to review whether the necessary improvements have been made and to decide whether further action is required.
The CQC team will also work closely with West Midlands Strategic Health Authority, South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust and Monitor to help the trust deliver long term improvements.
Today's report evaluates Stafford Hospital's overall performance against all 16 essential standards of quality and safety. By law, providers of health care services have a legal responsibility to make sure they are meeting all the standards.
Inspectors found that the hospital was fully compliant with standards relating to patient consent, meals, partnership working, keeping people who use services safe from harm and assessing and monitoring services.
But they also identified concerns around management of medicines, staff supervision and appraisals and handling of complaints.
Andrea Gordon, Regional Director of CQC in the West Midlands, said that her staff would continue to keep the trust under close review.
“I am satisfied that hospital is moving in the right direction, but the trust must not relax its efforts to improve. We believe that with the right support the management team at the trust has the capability to make the necessary improvements.
“The trust needs to take action to address the issues we have identified. The law says these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect when they receive care. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant – or face the possibility of enforcement action.
“Management of medicines is one of the areas that gives us most concern because there are inconsistencies on the wards and the trust’s own audits point to significant problems which must be addressed. Staff training has improved, but arrangements for regular supervision are still not satisfactory and need urgent attention.
“Handling of complaints is another area where we expect to see significant improvements. The trust’s complaints system is not effective because staff involved in complaints are not fully trained and investigations are not completed as quickly as they should be.
“People who depend on these services need to know that they are safe. If we had an immediate concern, we would step in quickly to protect the public.
"In the meantime we will follow up and monitor the improvements identified in this report, and we will take firm action to ensure that Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust comes up to standard."
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Notes to editors:
Today's report identified concerns with the following standards
• Management of medicines
• Supporting workers
• Complaints
• Respecting and involving people who use services
• Care and welfare of people who use services
• Safeguarding people who use services from abuse
• Safety and suitability of premises
• Safety, availability and suitability of equipment
• Requirements relating to workers
• Staffing
• Records.
The report finds that Mid Staffordshire is compliant with the following standards:
• Managing risks around patient consent
• Providing adequate meals
• Strengthening its approach to partnership working
• Keeping people who use services safe from harm
• Assessing and monitoring services.
• Download our latest Review of compliance on Mid Staffordshire: http://www.cqc.org.uk/publications.cfm?fde_id=16457