NHS 'stands on a burning platform', watchdog warns

NHS: The health service can no longer meet the needs of a growing and increasingly sick population, it is claimed
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The NHS “stands on a burning platform” and can no longer meet the needs of a growing and increasingly sick population, the country’s top hospital inspector said today.

Professor Sir Mike Richards made the unprecedented comments as he revealed that two-thirds of hospitals were inadequate or required improvement — with four in five failing on patient safety.

NHS watchdog the Care Quality Commission today announced it had completed its first round of inspections of all 136 acute and 17 specialist trusts that run 292 hospitals across the country.

Of the 136 non-specialist trusts, 11 per cent received the lowest rating of “inadequate” for safety, while 70 per cent required improvement.

Not a single trust was rated outstanding for safety. However, compassion was “alive and well” throughout as staff continued to do the best they could for patients.

Sir Mike said safety “continues to be an area of concern” but noted the unprecedented pressures on the system.

A third of trusts declared alerts in December as they were unable to cope with an influx of patients, bed occupancy rates have breached safe levels for more than two years, and 60 per cent of trusts expect to be in deficit by the end of this financial year.

He said: “While staff continue to work hard to deliver good care, the model of acute care that once worked well cannot continue to meet the needs of today’s population.

“The NHS now stands on a burning platform — the need for change is clear, but finding the resources and energy to deliver that change while simultaneously providing safe patient care can seem almost impossible.”

A total of 28 trusts have been put in special measures since the inspections began three years ago.

These include Barts Health, Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS trust and St George’s Healthcare. London Ambulance Service is also in special measures.

The capital has no “outstanding” trusts but Homerton and St Thomas’ hospitals have been praised for outstanding urgent and emergency care.

The report found “pockets of very poor quality” exist in the best hospitals, due to poor leadership on individual wards as well as on the trust board.

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