'˜Delayed discharge' highlighted as inspectors launch two-day probe into leadership at hospital

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) were in Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Cosham, yesterday and on Wednesday.

They were probing leadership at the city hospital, following the departure of former chief executive Ursula Ward in May last year.

‘CQC can confirm inspectors are undertaking a short-noticed announced focused inspection of Queen Alexandra Hospital at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust over May 10 and 11,’ a CQC spokesman said.

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

Last year the A&E department management and leadership was heavily criticised by the CQC when it was rated as inadequate.

Overall the hospital has the rating of requires improvement, with intensive and critical care rated as outstanding.

On Sunday a doctor’s tweet went viral after including a picture of 16 ambulances queueing at the hospital.

Across the country there have been 41,168 days of delays in transferring patients due to the patient awaiting a care package in their own home.

That figure, for the 12 months to March 2017, is up from 13,868 in the 12 months to March 2011. The GMB Union has pointed the finger at government funding cuts.

Rehana Azam, national secretary, said: ‘These shocking new figures show that health and social care is not on the brink – it is already beyond the point of crisis.

‘Missed targets, pay cuts, valued staff fleeing in droves, hospitals on black alert – they’re all telling us the same thing: our NHS is chronically underfunded and cannot cope.’

Trust-level data was not published yesterday.