The Care Quality Commission inspects North Middlesex University Hospital emergency department
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has inspected North Middlesex University Hospital emergency department. The CQC carried out an unannounced focused inspection of the emergency department in January, in response to concerning information received in relation to the care of patients. You can read the full report on the CQC website.
CQC had noted the number of ambulances being delayed from handing over their patients had increased on certain days during December and January which contributed to the reasons for inspecting the service.
Inspectors found that although there was a relatively high vacancy rate within specific bands, there were enough nursing staff with the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care. Patients could access the service when they needed to.
The design, maintenance and use of facilities, premises and equipment kept people safe. Staff were trained to use them. Risks to patients were assessed and their safety monitored and managed so they were supported to stay safe.
The service had managers with the right skills and abilities to run a service which provided high quality, sustainable care. It had a vision for what it wanted to achieve and a strategy to turn in it into action, develop with stakeholders. The vision and strategy were focused on sustainability of services and aligned to local plans within the wider health economy. There was an appetite among staff to deliver outstanding care which was evidence based and improved patient outcomes.
Leaders operated effective governance processes, throughout the service and with partner organisations. Staff at all levels were clear about their roles and accountabilities and had regular opportunities to meet, discuss and learn from the performance of the service.
Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. The service had an open culture where patients, their families and staff could raise concerns.
'Care provided at the North Middlesex University Hospital emergency department has continued to improve and I am pleased to see it.
At all times throughout our inspection, we found the skill mix of staff to be suitable for the needs of the emergency department, with actual staffing levels meeting the planned levels.
We had previously reported staff had experienced violence, aggression, verbal threats and abuse from patients and public. This had previously caused low morale among some staff. Managers were aware of staff experiences and had increased the numbers of security staff in the department and displayed posters on zero tolerance of abuse, violence and aggression towards staff in the department.'
You can read the full report on the CQC website.
