Chesterfield Royal Hospital rated 'good' by CQC inspectors

Inspectors visited the Calow-based hospital in February – before the height of the Covid-19 pandemic – and published their report today.

The hospital has maintained its high standards in the regulator’s five areas which ask whether a hospital is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

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CQC inspectors also highlighted five areas of outstanding practice within urgent and emergency service, medical care and surgery.

However, they were critical of medical care, including older people's care, which was rated ‘Requires Improvement’.

Hospital chief executive Angie Smithson said: “I’m incredibly proud of what our colleagues have achieved to once again show that the care and services we provide have met the high standards set out by the CQC.

“Our teams across the trust work hard to provide the best possible care to our patients and visitors. This rating reflects that dedication and gives us a solid platform as we continue our journey to ‘Outstanding’.”

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A CQC spokesperson said: “Staff at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust should be proud of the care they are providing for people using their services.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, our immediate focus is to support the trust to keep people safe during a period of unprecedented pressure.”

The report sets out two areas that the trust must improve – ensuring staff wear personal protective equipment at all times when taking bloods and inserting a cannula and making sure Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS) assessments are carried out in a timely fashion and that families are informed of the outcome

There are 32 actions the CQC recommend to make services better, ranging from patients being told how to use the call bells and keeping up to date with mandatory training to keeping corridors clear of obstructions and the appropriate storage of emergency equipment.

Director of nursing and patient care Lynn Andrews said: “We welcome all aspects of the report and these inspections present us with an ideal opportunity to find out what we need to focus on.

“It’s uplifting to hear about our achievements and those of our colleagues but it’s equally important to pinpoint where we need to improve.”