Warning to staff not wearing masks at PM’s local hospital

Lesley Watts, who was brought in as an “advisor” to Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust after its previous chief executive left last month, wrote to its staff this morning saying the time would have to be taken as holiday or unpaid leave.

Ms Watts, who issued the same warning to staff Chelsea and Westminster FT, where she is chief executive, last week, said: “Our trust’s position is clear, it is a serious conduct issue not to wear a mask where you are putting colleagues or our patients at risk – this will be dealt with under our formal processes from now on.” She is also the senior responsible officer of the North West London integrated care system.

Ms Tedford resigned citing family reasons a month after an outbreak of covid-19 at the trust saw 70 staff sent home and the accident and emergency unit closed to ambulances for nine days.

Mr Tedford had also written to staff ordering compliance with the mask rules but was pictured without on one occasion — the events were prominently covered in the media, partly because Hillingdon hospital serves Boris Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.

HSJ understands the Care Quality Commission has investigated the trust in relation to infection control and started enforcement action, although more detail is expected when the trust’s appeal period ends next week.

Recently published Hillingdon board papers for July indicate that during its staff outbreak, they were wearing a type of mask (Cardinal) which was already subject to a national alert over quality concerns, and was withdrawn.

Minutes of the trust’s meeting in July, published this week, said: “The chair sought clarification on which masks were worn by the staff during the recent outbreak. The medical director explained that the category of masks supplied to the organisation at that time were cardinal masks. The batches were subsequently withdrawn from the trust. The chief executive further added that the team was estimating the possible causes and learning from the incident.”

A board paper also says: “Nurse staffing resources continued to be stretched during July 2020 due to ongoing shielding, staff sickness absence and contract tracing, with resulting self-isolation.” It reveals that its stroke unit was also closed to admission from the 30 July to 11 August after two positive patient cases.

“There have been visits to the trust from the chief operating officer of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, and Ted Baker, the lead CQC inspector since the outbreak… was declared,” it states.

The news comes a week after the CQC were sent to investigate another organisation, East Kent Hospitals University FT, over a high number of patients becoming infected whilst in hospital.

The Hillingdon FT has significant performance problems, including more than 1,000 patients waiting more than a year for elective treatment.

It is also slated to have a significant rebuild, currently providing services from some of the most dilapidated estate in the NHS.

Hillingdon Hospitals FT has been approached for comment.