Inspectors reported that the quality of care at an emergency room in Essex has improved.
The A&E department at Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) in Harlow was given a "requires improvement" rating from "inadequate," and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) stated that it was working to ensure patients with mental health conditions received the proper care.
The hospital praised the staff for their "dedication and hard work.".
This winter, the A&E had one of the worst waiting times records in England.
CQC deputy director for the east of England, Hazel Roberts, stated: "[The hospital] made some of the necessary improvements and made sure they were embedded, but there is still more work to be done in order to keep people safe. ".
Inspectors had previously inspected the A&E in 2021 and had imposed special legal controls, directing it to enhance how it treated illnesses, disorders, and injuries.
Two patients were waiting in the hallway during that visit, one of whom was unresponsive, and the other had a bleeding head wound. The CQC claimed that this is why it intervened.
A nurse was captured on camera in June 2022 informing the waiting area that wait times could reach 13 hours.
The CQC conducted a follow-up inspection on March 29 of this year, and it disclosed in the report released on Friday that the legal requirements had been lifted.
The supervisor stated:.
- The right care and treatment were given to patients with mental health issues.
- An established triage tool was used by the service.
- Staff competency was ensured by the department.
- The service was all-inclusive and took into account client preferences and needs.
Inspectors noted that waiting times were "consistently worse than the national average," staff did not always update care records, and risk assessments were not always completed promptly.
Compared to the England average of 29%, 48 percent of patients waited more than the four-hour target in March.
The overall PAH rating remained at requires improvement following the inspection and did not change.
Lance McCarthy, the chief executive officer of PAH, expressed his pride in his team and vowed to keep working to provide patients with a cutting-edge, well-rounded service.
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