The hospital, managed by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been rated ‘requires improvement’ overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after its most recent unannounced inspection on January 14 and 15.
It followed the watchdog rating the hospital ‘inadequate’ following its previous inspection in October 2022.
The latest inspection focused on the hospital’s urgent and emergency care (UEC) and medical care services.
It found that the hospital’s urgent and emergency care has improved from inadequate to requires improvement, as have the ratings for being safe and responsive.
Medical care has also been rated requires improvement overall.
Alan Stephenson, the CQC’s deputy director of operations for the north, said “most people and their families were positive about the care they received” at the hospital.
He said the trust had “made some improvements, but they have more work to do to make sure people are safer and leadership continues to improve, as we know that better leaders mean better care”.
Simon Morritt, chief executive of the NHS trust, said it welcomed the CQC’s findings and recognised “there is more to do” at the hospital.
“Our focus now is on embedding the improvements we’ve made, strengthening leadership at every level, and creating a culture where both patients and colleagues feel safe, supported, and valued,” he said.
Inspectors found that medical care at the hospital was no longer in breach of regulations in relation to person centred care and safeguarding.
But they said there were still breaches relating to safe care and treatment, premises and equipment in both services.
There were also issues around good management and staffing in medical care, the inspectors said.
Inspectors had previously slammed the hospital’s leadership, rating it as inadequate – but this category has now been rated ‘good’.
The hospital also improved its rating for being effective and caring from requires improvement to good.
Inspectors found people waiting more than 12 hours for a bed at hospital, says CQC boss
Mr Stephenson said inspectors found there was a “lack of space to accommodate” demand on the hospital’s services.
Inspectors, he said, “saw people sitting on the waiting room floor as no seats were available.”
People had been assessed quickly when arriving at the hospital’s urgent and emergency care, he said.
But “they were waiting too long for a bed when they needed to be admitted, more than 12 hours in some cases”, he added.
Mr Stephenson said “plans were in place” to address this.
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He noted that inspectors found people at the hospital “waiting a long time for a bed”.
“There were occasions when people experienced multiple ward moves before they were placed on the correct ward, which they found confusing,” he said.
“People were also frustrated that staff didn’t always give them information about their care plan, so they didn’t have a full understanding of what was happening to them.”
He also said it was “concerning” that cleaning chemicals had been “left out where people could easily access them, and some sharp instruments weren’t locked away which could put people at risk of harm”.
Mr Stephenson said the trust “should continue to build” on the improvements it has made, adding: “We’ll continue to monitor them to make sure this happens.”
Simon Morritt, chief executive of the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Image: Supplied) Mr Morritt said: “I want to thank our staff for everything they do and reassure our communities that we remain fully committed to delivering safe, high-quality care, now and into the future.
“These positive changes have been achieved during a time of exceptional pressure on our services, and that is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our staff.
“We’re particularly pleased the CQC noted that most patients and their families felt treated with compassion and kindness, a reflection of the values we work hard to uphold every day.
“Where urgent issues were identified, they were acted on immediately, and we’ve continued to make positive progress since the inspection.
“Patients should feel confident in the care they receive and our commitment to doing better.”
The full report can be read on the CQC’s website.