Report says QA Hospital's A&E department has made '˜significant improvements'

The A&E unit at the Cosham hospital was given the lowest rating in the summer but a follow-up visit from the health watchdog in September has seen it re-rated as ‘requires improvement’.

In the report, published today, the Care Quality Commission said: ‘Significant improvements had been made within the emergency department since our last inspection in February 2016.’

But it also says further improvements are needed at the hospital run by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

The report added: ‘However patients were still spending too long in the emergency department.

‘There were occasions when patients had to wait outside in ambulances, although these were rare and for shorter periods of time than previously.’

Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond said she was disappointed more improvements had not been made.

She added: ‘However, these are still early days as it’s only six months after the first CQC inspection and it will take time to address the commission’s concerns in a number of areas.’