University Hospital

Ratings - Surgery

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Requires improvement

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust provides acute and tertiary hospital services for over 1 million people. A wide range of general surgical services are provided which include but are not restricted to the following specialties: breast, colorectal, ear nose and throat, general surgery, head and neck, hepato pancreato biliary, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial, renal transplantation, upper gastrointestinal, urology, trauma and orthopaedics and vascular surgery.

Surgical services included three clinical groups: trauma and neurosciences; surgical services (with 12 surgical subspecialties); and clinical support services (comprising of theatres and anaesthetics). Each clinical group had a leadership team with a group clinical director, supported by a group director of nursing and AHPs and group director of operations. Reporting into the directors for each group were specialty/department teams consisting of a clinical service lead, a senior nurse and a group manager. This model was replicated throughout the three clinical groups.

University Hospital Coventry has 1,064 beds and 26 operating theatres and is a major trauma centre providing care for patients with severe injuries.

We carried out a planned inspection of the surgical services at University Hospital Coventry on the 25 and 26 of September 2024 and 11th March 2025.

We followed the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Single Assessment Framework and assessed against the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions. As part of our assessment, we looked at 15 patient records, spoke with 12 patients, 5 relatives and 50 members of staff including the leadership team for surgery (known as the triumvirate) Surgery, Trauma and Neuro Services and Clinical Support Services, theatre manager, ward managers, scrub nurses, anaesthetists, consultants, healthcare assistants, recovery nurses, advanced care practitioners and staff nurses.

We found:

A strong safety culture was evident, where events were investigated, and learning was embedded to promote good practice. Good care and treatment was delivered in accordance with evidence-based practice, resulting in positive outcomes for patients. Staff were recognised for their kindness, compassion, and caring approach. The service was inclusive, ensuring that patients' individual needs and preferences were considered. Effective governance processes were operated by leaders, who used systems to manage performance efficiently.

The service did not meet NHS treatment standards due to the backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across England. However, managers worked continuously to reduce waiting times and address the backlog, showing steady progress. The service collaborated with other healthcare professionals to ensure timely care, particularly for serious conditions requiring specialist input.

People's experience of this service

Patients and their relatives talked positively about their experience of care at this site. They told us they were treated with dignity and respect, and received effective care and treatment. They said they were involved in key decisions relating to their treatment plans. The service adapted to meet the needs of patients with learning disabilities and dementia, as well as those with individual needs or religious/cultural beliefs. Some patients expressed a wish to be better informed about the theatre list order so they could manage periods of extended fasting more effectively.