A HOSPITAL blasted for breaking the law by failing to meet minimum standards of care has managed to turn around performance, a health watchdog has said.

The Alexandra Hospital in Redditch had been criticised in a review report by the hospitals watchdog the Care and Quality Commission (CQC), after inspectors in March found serious failings. Inspectors raised concerns about patients’ nutritional needs including food trays not being within easy reach, patients having to eat with their hands because staff were not on hand to cut food, and nobody being routinely offered the chance to wash hands.

But in follow-up inspections to both the Alex and the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, in Worcester, inspectors said both hospitals were now meeting the essential standards of quality and safety.

However, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, has been told it can make further improvements.

Inspectors visited on June 24 looking at what improvements had been made and speaking to 15 patients, relatives and visitors at both hospitals. The report’s authors said: “People told us they were kept informed about their care and treatment and that staff explained things to them” and that patients “felt that staff responded to their needs promptly”.

However, the inspectors said more needed to be done to make sure patients had accessible call bells and that information was more readily available, and dispensation was made for those unable to communicate verbally or for those with learning difficulties.

The report also stated that patients were “very complimentary about the meals” and patients who missed meals were followed up, although inspectors wanted more detailed records for patients who were not eating properly.

The trust said it had introduced ‘dignity link nurses’ and ‘mealtime co-ordinators’ for every ward, and introduced 11am-8pm visiting times so relatives could assist with mealtimes.

Harry Turner, trust chairman, said: “We are pleased with the CQC’s findings and reassured the improvement agenda we put in place following their first visit is having a positive impact improving patients’ safety and quality of care. We will not be complacent and continue to improve further.”

The trust commissioned an independent report following the damning inspection and has vowed to implement those recommendations alongside the CQC’s.

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