Portsmouth trust makes changes to improve emergency care at QA following report

It comes as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) today publishes a report rating the A&E department as ‘inadequate’.

The report also looked at the Medical Assessment Unit, which was rated as ‘requires improvement’.

To help improve the service being offered, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs QA Hospital, has followed steps put forward by the CQC.

From July 1 Dr Rob Haigh, from Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, will take up the role as executive director for the emergency care pathway. His job is to oversee the departments within emergency provision to ensure they are running smoothly.

The trust has also introduced a short-stay centre. The purpose of the centre is to identify patients who will only be required to stay in hospital for up to 72 hours.

This plan, which was due to be implemented in February and then again in April, was brought in at the beginning of July.

Within the report, it also says the trust is hoping to prevent unnecessary attendance and admission, use the emergency department appropriately and introduce a frailty intervention team.