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Trust welcomes report recognising improvements to the emergency departments

Published 7 May 2021

East Kent Hospitals Trust has welcomed reports published by the Care Quality Commission today, showing improvements to the performance of its emergency departments.

Inspectors visited the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, and the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, in March.

It was an inspection to assess whether the urgent and emergency care services were experiencing pressure due to winter demands or as a result of COVID-19.

The inspection team found the departments controlled infection risk well, with staff using equipment and control measures to protect patients, themselves and others from infection. Equipment and the premises were visibly clean.

Staff were focused on the needs of patients receiving care and the departments had an

open culture where patients, their families and staff could raise concerns without fear.

Trust chief executive Susan Acott said: “Staff have worked hard to give patients the best possible urgent and emergency care during the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic and I am pleased their hard work has been recognised in the CQC’s reports.

“We are taking action on the areas for further improvement and have completed renovations of the mental health room at William Harvey Hospital.”

Areas identified by the CQC for improvement included waiting times, consultant cover at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, and suitable facilities in place to care for patients with mental health problems and processes for monitoring the health of waiting patients at William Harvey Hospital.

As a result of the inspection, William Harvey Hospital’s rating for safe has improved from inadequate to requires improvement. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital’s rating remains at requires improvement.

Read the CQC's report on William Harvey Hospital and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital.