Royal Preston fails to meet CQC nutrition standard

The regulator checked two “essential standards” of care during an inspection of two wards – Barton and Bleasdale, which are medical rehabilitation wards for people recovering from falls or strokes – at the trust’s Royal Preston Hospital.

Inspectors – including a practising nurse – observed how people were being cared for, talked with patients, talked with staff, and checked records.

The standards assessed were:

• People should be treated with respect, involved in discussions about their care and treatment and able to influence how the service is run
• Food and drink should meet people’s individual dietary needs

It concluded overall that Royal Preston Hospital had passed the CQC standard for dignity, though it was suggested improvements were needed to maintain this, but had failed the standard for nutrition.

In its report, the regulator said: “People using the service have their privacy and dignity respected; however, there is scope for improvement in recording people’s individual needs and wishes. Individual patient care is generally of a high standard but there are occasions when standards are compromised because people have to wait a long time for assistance.”

It added: “There are assessment processes in place to ensure that staff understand people’s nutritional needs. Patients benefit from good access to multi-professional teams who specialise in all aspects of nutrition.

“However, people’s experience of assistance with eating is variable. Some people are not always provided with the support they need. Menus are varied and provide a good variety, but the current system results in some people not receiving meals they have chosen.

“There is scope for improvement of recording people’s food preferences and wishes in their care plans.”

The regulator visited 100 hospitals as part of its programme of inspections on older patients’ treatment and is currently publishing them in batches, of which this is the fourth.