CQC finds minor concerns at Queen Alexandra Hospital

The regulator checked two “essential standards” of care during an inspection of two wards at the trust’s Queen Alexandra Hospital on 12 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 Queen Alexandra Hospital had passed the CQC standards for dignity and nutrition, though it was suggested improvements were needed to maintain performance.

In its report, the regulator said: “The patients are positive about their experiences of care and treatment at Queen Alexandra Hospital. They stated that they felt they were listened to and mostly kept informed about their care and treatment. However, there is also evidence that they are not always fully involved in the decision making.

“The hospital is providing training around issues of privacy, dignity and human rights. Patients’ privacy and dignity are mainly respected; however support to use the toilet should be improved. There is scope for the recording of discussions with patients about their preferences for treatment to be improved.”

It added: “There is an assessment procedure in place and the patients received an assessment of their nutritional requirements, although these are not always reviewed regularly. Staff are trained to provide support for patients to eat and drink and volunteers help to promote people’s independence at mealtimes. Protected mealtimes are largely adhered to and mealtimes are, as a result, quiet with few disturbances.

“Recording of patients’ food and fluid intake is inadequate to meet the patients’ needs in an effective manner. Although it is the hospital policy to review the nutritional assessment every five days, this is not happening in practice. Opportunities for hand washing before and after meals are not always available to the 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.