The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) new rigorous hospital inspection regime lives up to its billing in Cornwall, laying out a clear way forward for an improving Royal Cornwall Hospital.
The CCQ Report rightly acknowledges that Treliske is part way along a journey of change, and highlights the real improvements that have been made to date. These include a new Accident and Emergency Department, supported by £1.2 million of Government funding, which the CQC reports to be making a real difference to the experience of patients seeking to access hospital services. The CQC also confirmed something that we have locally known for years, that the ‘caring and hard working’ staff at Treliske are the Hospital’s biggest asset.
The new CQC inspection regime, whilst acknowledging progress to date, rightly focuses on what more needs to be done to ensure that an outstanding service is provided to all. In the case of Treliske this is very clear. The Report raises delayed discharges, and operations cancelled as a result, as a very real problem that needs to be resolved by partnership working with organisations in Cornwall that can help Treliske. The Care Quality Commission chaired a Quality Summit with the Royal Cornwall Hospital this week where this problem was discussed in detail with NHS partners, Cornwall Council and patients organisations.
The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Health and Wellbeing Board have been constantly reminded of the need for this to be resolved. . Progress is being made but the CQC Report is a timely reminder of how pivotal the integration of health and social care is to the future of the Hospital we all depend on, and the successful delivery of its ongoing programme of reform.