MORE details have emerged about the failings at a Worcester hospital, including new concerns not previously raised by inspectors.

The report by the Care Quality Commission released yesterday (Tuesday) says that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has not only failed to improve but got worse in new ways.

The trust has been in special measures since December 2015 and is rated 'inadequate'. The fresh report, based on 'focused', unannounced inspections on April 11 and 12, suggests 'there was no tangible improvement in performance' since the trust was inspected in November last year which led to the trust receiving a warning notice in March demanding urgent improvement.

The full report reveals more details about ongoing problems at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, including 'insufficient numbers of consultants' at the emergency department. Staff were not using screens to protect the privacy and dignity of patients in the corridors of Worcester's emergency department.

Professor Sir Michael Richards, chief inspector of hospitals, wrote in his report: "Patients were given meals in their hands by staff but there was nowhere to rest plates and cups so they could eat their food with dignity."

Staff did not always wash their hands after contact with patients in A&E at Worcester.

Time critical medications were not always administered on time. Medication was not stored at the correct temperature. There was 'no evidence' that action was taken to address learning from case reviews into deaths. When risks had been 'escalated' there was a lack of follow up.

New concerns, not previously raised, have also been flagged up. These include risk assessments records being left incomplete and an inconsistent approach to safeguarding when it came to both child and adult patients. Pain relief given to children in the emergency department was not evaluated for its effectiveness . Some patients were prescribed inappropriate doses of anticoagulation medication.

Patient records were left unsecured on a number of medical care wards and there was a risk that personal information was available to members of the public.

However, there were improvements since the last report. Staff felt supported to report incidents when they believed patients were unsafe because the emergency department was overwhelmed. Most patients were assessed within 15 minutes of arrival at A&E by a senior nurse. Charts on the acute stroke unit at Worcester were completed. All staff in surgical clinical areas were bare below the elbows.