New report on QA Hospital's emergency department to be published soon

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be issuing a new report after visiting the Cosham site in February and again in May.

The two-day inspections are scheduled follow-ups after the hospital was rated as requires improvement, and the emergency department was seen to be inadequate – putting patients at risk.

The CQC imposed four warning notices, which Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs QA, had to comply with.

Since the rating, given in February last year, A&E has made a number of changes to improve and is now rated as requires improvement.

Leanne Wilson, head of hospital inspection for south central at the CQC, said: ‘We can confirm inspectors undertook a short-noticed announced focussed inspection of Queen Alexandra Hospital on May 10 and 11.

‘This inspection was scheduled to follow up on our findings from the previous inspection in September 2016 and assess if improvements have been made.

‘A report detailing the findings of our inspection will be published soon.’

During a meeting held last month, the Quality and Safeguarding Board in Portsmouth addressed the Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) about their concerns on A&E.

Speaking to the members, Dr Julie Cullen said: ‘We are concerned not only about the four-hour waiting times but other care concerns at A&E.

‘While we are waiting for the CQC to publish their report, we are gathering evidence, monitoring the situation and watching what is happening.

‘We feel like we need the evidence to either support our opinions or negate them.’

Dr Cullen added the Quality and Safeguarding Board has to work within boundaries and cannot impose warning notices like the CQC.

‘We are working within boundaries of health and social care,’ she said.

‘We have limits in what we can do to avoid further risks to the public so, if in the future people ask why we have not done something, we have made it clear why.’