Inspection Report We are the regulator: Our job is to check whether hospitals, care homes and care services are meeting essential standards. Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Thomas Drive, Liverpool, L14 3PE Tel: 01516001249 Date of Inspection: 18 September 2014 Date of Publication: October 2014 We inspected the following standards to check that action had been taken to meet them. This is what we found: Staffing Supporting workers Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision Met this standard Met this standard Met this standard Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 1
Details about this location Registered Provider Overview of the service Type of service Regulated activities Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital became a NHS Foundation Trust in December 2009. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital provides heart and chest services for the North West of England, including North Wales and the Isle of Man. The hospital has a bed capacity totalling 187. Acute services with overnight beds Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 Diagnostic and screening procedures Surgical procedures Treatment of disease, disorder or injury Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 2
Contents When you read this report, you may find it useful to read the sections towards the back called 'About CQC inspections' and 'How we define our judgements'. Summary of this inspection: Page Why we carried out this inspection 4 How we carried out this inspection 4 What people told us and what we found 4 More information about the provider 5 Our judgements for each standard inspected: Staffing 6 Supporting workers 8 Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision 10 About CQC Inspections 12 How we define our judgements 13 Glossary of terms we use in this report 15 Contact us 17 Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 3
Summary of this inspection Why we carried out this inspection We carried out this inspection to check whether Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust had taken action to meet the following essential standards: Staffing Supporting workers Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision This was an unannounced inspection. How we carried out this inspection We looked at the personal care or treatment records of people who use the service, carried out a visit on 18 September 2014, talked with staff and reviewed information given to us by the provider. What people told us and what we found We had previously inspected this service on 7,11,12,13 and 14 February 2014. During this follow-up inspection we found there had been significant improvements in the areas of non-compliance at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital since our last visit. The inspection focused on the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) as this was where the previous areas of non-compliance had been identified. The Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) currently consists of a Post-Operative Critical Care Unit (POCCU) which has 19 beds and an Intensive Care Unit (ITU) which has 11 beds/side rooms totalling 30 beds. We spoke individually with seven members of nursing staff and held a focus group for a further five registered nurses and one healthcare assistant. Everyone spoke very positively about the changes that had taken place within the SICU since our last inspection. Their comments included: "It is a different place to work now", "I was looking for another job, now I can see myself working here forever". Staffing levels had improved and the mix of skills within teams was appropriate for the dependency levels of the patients being cared for. Staff at all levels were better supported to undertake their roles through training, appraisal and clinical supervision. There were systems in place to assess risk and quality within the trust. We also found that communication was good and there was a significant improvement in staff morale. You can see our judgements on the front page of this report. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 4
More information about the provider Please see our website www.cqc.org.uk for more information, including our most recent judgements against the essential standards. You can contact us using the telephone number on the back of the report if you have additional questions. There is a glossary at the back of this report which has definitions for words and phrases we use in the report. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 5
Our judgements for each standard inspected Staffing Met this standard There should be enough members of staff to keep people safe and meet their health and welfare needs Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. Reasons for our judgement We had previously inspected this service in February 2014 when we found noncompliance with this outcome for which a compliance action was issued. During the previous inspection we found that there had not always been sufficient numbers of staff on duty to provide safe and effective care. We also found that the mix of skills and expertise between teams was not always appropriate. During this inspection we found that there had been considerable improvements in staffing levels. A review of the nursing structure had taken place and additional nursing staff had been appointed to both senior and junior roles, from a matron to support workers. We reviewed the nurse staffing levels throughout the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) since May 2014 and found they were sufficient to provide a safe and effective service for patients, whatever their levels of dependency. Further recruitment was being undertaken which, once completed, would enable the team leaders to adopt the supernumerary status which had been agreed as part of their role. Effective communication throughout the SICU meant that staff were aware of the progress regarding recruitment. The dependency levels of the patients cared for on the SICU need to be assessed regularly so that the appropriate levels of staffing and the mix of skills and expertise required can be established. We found this process was not fully embedded within the unit during our previous inspection. This had resulted in disagreements between staff providing direct patient care and those managing the unit about the dependency levels of some patients. During this follow-up inspection we found the dependency levels of patients cared for on the SICU were assessed regularly and were amended in response to changes in the patient's condition. The dependency levels were agreed and signed off by the nurse caring for the patient and the manager. Staff were familiar with and confident in undertaking this process, which was now well embedded. This meant that appropriate staffing levels and skill mix could be put in place according to the changing needs of patients. The role of the Intensive Care Assistants (ICAs) was clear. Increased levels of registered Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 6
nurses within the SICU meant ICAs were not required to provide care to patients that was outside of the agreed parameters of their role. Action had been taken to improve the flow of patients from the SICU to the wards. Two patients were now prepared for transfer by the night staff, so that they could be transferred to a ward by 9am each day. Key performance indicators had been introduced regarding the transfer of these patients, which were monitored daily. Staff we spoke with told us this had improved the timeliness with which patients were transferred out of the SICU and had reduced the 'bottlenecking' which had previously occurred during the morning, due to patients returning from theatre prior to the transfer of patients who were well enough to be cared for on the wards. During our inspection we observed one patient who had been assessed as fit to leave the SICU the previous day but was still awaiting transfer to a ward. We discussed this with the doctor providing their care. They informed us that sometimes it was not possible to transfer patients as soon as they were fit to leave the SICU due to lack of availability of beds on the wards. This meant that patients were not always receiving care and treatment in the most suitable environment for their needs. We discussed this with members of the executive team during our inspection. They informed us that, due to regulations regarding single sex accommodation in hospitals, occasionally there was not an appropriate bed for patients to be transferred to. In these instances, the patient would be cared for in the safest appropriate place, which was the SICU, and would be transferred to a ward as soon as a suitable bed was available. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 7
Supporting workers Met this standard Staff should be properly trained and supervised, and have the chance to develop and improve their skills Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. People were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. Reasons for our judgement We had previously inspected this service in February 2014 when we found noncompliance with this outcome for which a compliance action was issued. During the previous inspection we found that there was no process in place by which staff could access formal clinical supervision. Clinical supervision is regular, protected time for facilitated, in-depth reflection on clinical practice. This enables clinical staff to achieve and sustain a high quality of practice through the means of focused support. We also found that staff reported feeling "unsupported" and "not listened to" at times. During this inspection we found that morale had improved significantly within the hospital. Staff members, particularly those who had spoken with us as part of the last inspection, were keen to tell us how much better supported they felt. One staff member commented "there is a very open culture here now". The whistleblowing policy had been reviewed and revised and an awareness of how staff can raise concerns to the trust in the form of the 'Speak out Safely' (SoS) campaign had been initiated since our last inspection. All staff we spoke with were aware of the SoS campaign and how to raise concerns through the whistleblowing process, should they wish to do so. Clinical supervision had been introduced within the SICU and had been rolled out across the unit. Uptake was greater in some areas than others, but all staff were aware of the opportunity for clinical supervision within the SICU. Plans were in place to develop the initiative further over the coming months. All staff we spoke with had received an annual appraisal and had an individual learning plan in place. There was specific critical care training in place for staff working in the SICU which was accredited by a local university. Several nurses we spoke with had either completed or were currently undertaking the course, while others had been scheduled to attend the course in the near future. On current projections, 50% of registered nurses will have completed the course by January 2015. This is the minimum number recommended by the Cheshire and Mersey Critical Care Network. Improvements in staffing levels meant that 'educationalists', whose role is to support staff Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 8
learning and development, particularly for newly qualified nurses and/or junior nursing staff, were able to provide this support. Previously they had been required to provide direct patient care throughout their shifts. The functions of the multi-disciplinary team members and how they worked within the SICU setting had been reviewed since our last inspection. An external consultant had been working within the SICU to improve the effectiveness with which the multidisciplinary teams worked. We saw evidence of monthly multidisciplinary team meetings which had taken place since our last inspection. Staff had an opportunity to contribute items for the agenda and felt their opinions were listened to and respected. Communication was good throughout the SICU. Staff told us that their immediate line managers were accessible and approachable. They also told us that members of the executive team, including the director of nursing and the chief executive, were very visible throughout the hospital and often visited the SICU. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 9
Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision Met this standard The service should have quality checking systems to manage risks and assure the health, welfare and safety of people who receive care Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. The provider had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people using the service and others. Reasons for our judgement We had previously inspected this service in February 2014 when we found noncompliance with this outcome for which a compliance action was issued. During the previous inspection we found that some monitoring of safety in theatres and staffing on the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) was not fully implemented. At this inspection we found that the trust had a combined Risk Management Strategy & Policy which had been issued on 1 July 2014. A copy of the risk register for the SICU was displayed on the risk management notice board within the unit. This meant that staff were aware of the key risks within the SICU and the actions being taken by the trust to mitigate these risks. There was a system in place for reporting incidents across the trust. Staff were confident in reporting incidents and 'near misses' and were supported by managers to do so. However, all the staff we spoke with told us that the current system used for the reporting of incidents was cumbersome and time consuming to use and did not encourage the reporting of incidents. They also told us that feedback from incidents they reported was poor. The need to improve feedback to staff had been identified by the SICU management team and a senior nurse had recently been allocated responsibility to improve the feedback process to staff. We discussed the incident reporting system used within the trust with the executive team, who recognised that improvements needed to be made to this process. To this end, a business case was currently being prepared for presentation to the trust board by the end of the year, with a view to replacing the existing incident reporting system with one that better suited their needs. Mortality reviews had been completed in a timely manner and included input from nursing as well as medical staff. During our last inspection 62% of cases had been awaiting review. Specific timeframes for review had now been introduced, with escalation processes identified to ensure a timely review of all cases. The latest figures available at the time of our inspection showed that during July/August, 93% of mortality reviews had been completed. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 10
We looked at monitoring arrangements for the World Health Organisation (WHO) safer surgery check list. The use of the WHO check list is designed to reduce the number of errors and complications by undertaking safety checks for patients receiving a general anaesthetic. Use of the WHO checklist was well embedded within the organisation. Monitoring of the use of the checklist was included in the weekly key performance indicators for team managers in theatres, which ensured ongoing monitoring of the use of the WHO checklist. Recruitment and sickness absence within the SICU had been closely monitored and actively managed. The trust board took an active interest in recruitment and levels of sickness absence and received regular reports on progress. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 11
About CQC inspections We are the regulator of health and social care in England. All providers of regulated health and social care services have a legal responsibility to make sure they are meeting essential standards of quality and safety. These are the standards everyone should be able to expect when they receive care. The essential standards are described in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. We regulate against these standards, which we sometimes describe as "government standards". We carry out unannounced inspections of all care homes, acute hospitals and domiciliary care services in England at least once a year to judge whether or not the essential standards are being met. We carry out inspections of other services less often. All of our inspections are unannounced unless there is a good reason to let the provider know we are coming. There are 16 essential standards that relate most directly to the quality and safety of care and these are grouped into five key areas. When we inspect we could check all or part of any of the 16 standards at any time depending on the individual circumstances of the service. Because of this we often check different standards at different times. When we inspect, we always visit and we do things like observe how people are cared for, and we talk to people who use the service, to their carers and to staff. We also review information we have gathered about the provider, check the service's records and check whether the right systems and processes are in place. We focus on whether or not the provider is meeting the standards and we are guided by whether people are experiencing the outcomes they should be able to expect when the standards are being met. By outcomes we mean the impact care has on the health, safety and welfare of people who use the service, and the experience they have whilst receiving it. Our inspectors judge if any action is required by the provider of the service to improve the standard of care being provided. Where providers are non-compliant with the regulations, we take enforcement action against them. If we require a service to take action, or if we take enforcement action, we re-inspect it before its next routine inspection was due. This could mean we re-inspect a service several times in one year. We also might decide to reinspect a service if new concerns emerge about it before the next routine inspection. In between inspections we continually monitor information we have about providers. The information comes from the public, the provider, other organisations, and from care workers. You can tell us about your experience of this provider on our website. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 12
How we define our judgements The following pages show our findings and regulatory judgement for each essential standard or part of the standard that we inspected. Our judgements are based on the ongoing review and analysis of the information gathered by CQC about this provider and the evidence collected during this inspection. We reach one of the following judgements for each essential standard inspected. Met this standard This means that the standard was being met in that the provider was compliant with the regulation. If we find that standards were met, we take no regulatory action but we may make comments that may be useful to the provider and to the public about minor improvements that could be made. Action needed This means that the standard was not being met in that the provider was non-compliant with the regulation. We may have set a compliance action requiring the provider to produce a report setting out how and by when changes will be made to make sure they comply with the standard. We monitor the implementation of action plans in these reports and, if necessary, take further action. We may have identified a breach of a regulation which is more serious, and we will make sure action is taken. We will report on this when it is complete. Enforcement action taken If the breach of the regulation was more serious, or there have been several or continual breaches, we have a range of actions we take using the criminal and/or civil procedures in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and relevant regulations. These enforcement powers include issuing a warning notice; restricting or suspending the services a provider can offer, or the number of people it can care for; issuing fines and formal cautions; in extreme cases, cancelling a provider or managers registration or prosecuting a manager or provider. These enforcement powers are set out in law and mean that we can take swift, targeted action where services are failing people. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 13
How we define our judgements (continued) Where we find non-compliance with a regulation (or part of a regulation), we state which part of the regulation has been breached. Only where there is non compliance with one or more of Regulations 9-24 of the Regulated Activity Regulations, will our report include a judgement about the level of impact on people who use the service (and others, if appropriate to the regulation). This could be a minor, moderate or major impact. Minor impact - people who use the service experienced poor care that had an impact on their health, safety or welfare or there was a risk of this happening. The impact was not significant and the matter could be managed or resolved quickly. Moderate impact - people who use the service experienced poor care that had a significant effect on their health, safety or welfare or there was a risk of this happening. The matter may need to be resolved quickly. Major impact - people who use the service experienced poor care that had a serious current or long term impact on their health, safety and welfare, or there was a risk of this happening. The matter needs to be resolved quickly We decide the most appropriate action to take to ensure that the necessary changes are made. We always follow up to check whether action has been taken to meet the standards. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 14
Glossary of terms we use in this report Essential standard The essential standards of quality and safety are described in our Guidance about compliance: Essential standards of quality and safety. They consist of a significant number of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. These regulations describe the essential standards of quality and safety that people who use health and adult social care services have a right to expect. A full list of the standards can be found within the Guidance about compliance. The 16 essential standards are: Respecting and involving people who use services - Outcome 1 (Regulation 17) Consent to care and treatment - Outcome 2 (Regulation 18) Care and welfare of people who use services - Outcome 4 (Regulation 9) Meeting Nutritional Needs - Outcome 5 (Regulation 14) Cooperating with other providers - Outcome 6 (Regulation 24) Safeguarding people who use services from abuse - Outcome 7 (Regulation 11) Cleanliness and infection control - Outcome 8 (Regulation 12) Management of medicines - Outcome 9 (Regulation 13) Safety and suitability of premises - Outcome 10 (Regulation 15) Safety, availability and suitability of equipment - Outcome 11 (Regulation 16) Requirements relating to workers - Outcome 12 (Regulation 21) Staffing - Outcome 13 (Regulation 22) Supporting Staff - Outcome 14 (Regulation 23) Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision - Outcome 16 (Regulation 10) Complaints - Outcome 17 (Regulation 19) Records - Outcome 21 (Regulation 20) Regulated activity These are prescribed activities related to care and treatment that require registration with CQC. These are set out in legislation, and reflect the services provided. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 15
Glossary of terms we use in this report (continued) (Registered) Provider There are several legal terms relating to the providers of services. These include registered person, service provider and registered manager. The term 'provider' means anyone with a legal responsibility for ensuring that the requirements of the law are carried out. On our website we often refer to providers as a 'service'. Regulations We regulate against the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. Responsive inspection This is carried out at any time in relation to identified concerns. Routine inspection This is planned and could occur at any time. We sometimes describe this as a scheduled inspection. Themed inspection This is targeted to look at specific standards, sectors or types of care. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 16
Contact us Phone: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Write to us at: Care Quality Commission Citygate Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA Website: www.cqc.org.uk Copyright Copyright (2011) Care Quality Commission (CQC). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CQC copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Inspection Report Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust October 2014 www.cqc.org.uk 17