Queen Alexandra Hospital keeps hard-fought 'Good' ranking as inspectors praise 'responsive' staff

Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham has retained its overall 'Good' ranking from health inspectors.

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) has been rated as ‘good’ for the second time following an inspection of its leadership and two core services by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC has published its report today following an unannounced inspection of PHU’s Medical Care and Urgent and Emergency Services in April 2022 and a planned inspect in May, after concerns about the quality of services.

The hospitals trust first achieved the ‘good’ ranking in 2020.

The overall rating for urgent and emergency care, as well as the rating for the trust’s safety and responsiveness, remain as ‘Requires Improvement’.

However, ratings around effectiveness, caring and leadership improved from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’.

The latest report found that staff were ‘discreet and responsive’ when caring for patients, who were treated with ‘respect’.

In 2018 the trust was labelled ‘requires in improvement’ and the previous year had been issued with a warning notice meaning urgent improvements were needed across areas including safety, safeguarding and leadership.

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Penny Emerit, chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust said: ‘It is important to recognise how much progress has been made during what has been the most challenging two years the NHS has faced.

‘I am so grateful to all of our staff for all they have done to care for our patients and to deliver improvements.’

The CQC report also highlighted that staff at all levels demonstrated ‘pride in the organisation’ and maintained a focus on improving services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The trust’s chief executive added: ‘Since our 2019 inspection we have transformed how we deliver improvement and continued to focus on our culture through our #ProudToBePHU programme and ensuring that staff feel valued, included, supported and able to make improvements.

‘We have also been able to make a number of changes across the Queen Alexandra Hospital site including the opening of two new wards.’

The rating comes as the trust gears up its new £58m accident and emergency department.

Construction on the current east car park will begin in September 2022.