Health watchdog lifts Derriford's formal warning after considerable improvements

Inspectors from the public health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), have re-inspected theatres at Derriford Hospital and are satisfied that surgical safety has considerably improved.

The re-inspection follows the formal warning handed to Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust in July after an investigation in April into eight serious patient safety incidents at the flagship hospital over a 12-month period. The Trust was told to "make urgent improvements to protect patients undergoing surgery".

The inspectors undertook an unannounced inspection on 29 and 30 August 2013, re-visiting the theatre suites in the hospital.

At the re-visit, the inspectors found that: "At this inspection, theatre staff identified, assessed and managed the risks relating to health, welfare and safety of patients. This demonstrated an improvement of the systems in place.

The inspectors also reported that: "All staff spoken with told us they were encouraged to raise any issues and report any risks. … We observed staff being supportive, compassionate and reassuring to patients who were upset or anxious. All staff acted in a skilled and professional way which promoted confidence for patients awaiting their operations."

As a result the Trust has found to be compliant with meeting essential standard of assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision and the warning notice no longer applies.

Chief Executive Ann James: “I am delighted that the work everyone has done to make real improvements has been recognised. It is really heartening to know that the culture we are trying to create was clearly visible, with staff telling inspectors that they are encouraged to speak up and that teamwork and safety are actively promoted. This is the culture we are working hard to create - the Plymouth Way.

“I would like to thank our staff for the hard work they have put in to ensure real improvements were made and I can promise patients that we will continue, at every level, to monitor, review and constantly improve safety in our theatres.”