Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection report

09 September 2022 - Care Quality Commission (CQC) publishes inspection report for two medical wards at Orpington Hospital

The care on two medical wards at Orpington Hospital – part of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – has been rated ‘Requires Improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), having previously been rated ‘Good’.

During their inspection in July, the CQC found that staffing levels on the two wards they inspected did not always enable staff to provide the standards of care they aspired to, and that care and treatment was not always delivered in a responsive manner.

Inspectors also found that patients were not always treated with dignity and respect, staff did not always feel valued and listened to, and medicines were not always managed safely.

However, the CQC inspection team did also observe examples of good practice, including the way in which infection risks were managed, and the environment being suitable for patient’s needs.

Inspectors also noted that staff treated patients with kindness, respected their privacy, and that they provided emotional support to patients, their families and carers. It was also noted that key services were available seven days a week.

In addition to being rated requires improvement overall following the inspection, Orpington Hospital’s medical care was rated ‘Inadequate’ for being caring, and ‘Requires Improvement’ for being safe.

Professor Nicola Ranger, Chief Nurse at the Trust, said:

“I am very disappointed that the standard of care on these two wards fell below the high standards we set ourselves. Our patients deserved better.

“We took immediate action following the CQC’s inspection in July. Staff on the two wards are no longer asked to work on other sites, so ensuring they can provide the responsive, patient centred care they want to deliver.”

“We also initiated an immediate review of medication safety, and we have worked with staff to ensure they are providing the essential needs of our patients at all times, with refresher training also offered. Staff have responded very positively to these changes.”

The CQC’s report is available to view here.