CQC notes minor concerns at West Cumberland Hospital

The regulator checked two “essential standards” of care during an inspection of two wards – Jenkins Ward and Ullswater Stroke Unit – at the trust’s West Cumberland Hospital on  18 April 2011.

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 West Cumberland Hospital was meeting both of the essential standards of quality and safety but, to maintain this, some improvements needed to be made.

In its report, the regulator said: “Overall patients have a positive experience of care and treatment at West Cumberland Hospital. The majority of patients reported that staff treat them with dignity and respect, and they are given care when they needed it.

“The design of some wards makes it harder for staff to maintain the dignity and privacy of patients, and the rebuild of the hospital is making this even more difficult for staff. However, we felt that staff are working hard to minimise the impact, and are giving patients care and treatment that they feel is of a good quality.

“Very few of those interviewed said they had been asked about their care preferences, choices, cultural and religious needs on admission, and there was little written evidence of this in patients care notes.

“We found that improvements could be made in the way patient consent and choice is sought and recorded. The issue of seeking patient feedback could also be strengthened.”

It added: “Overall patients are satisfied with the meals, the menu choice and the standard of the food on offer. Patients are given the right amount of help and staff are supportive and considerate.

“Patient’s nutritional needs are assessed on admission and monitored throughout their stay in hospital. Staff are well trained and systems are in place to identify people at risk of dehydration and malnutrition. Specialist advice is readily on hand to ensure that patients are well nourished, as part of their overall treatment.

“However, some of the day to day practices carried out by staff are not in keeping with the trusts policies, and this needs to be reviewed to ensure a consistently high standard of care is experienced by all patients.”

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.