- NHS hospital
University Hospital Aintree
Report from 7 November 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Urgent and emergency services
Our view of the service
We carried out an unannounced assessment of University Hospital Aintree on 10 and 11 December 2024. We carried out this assessment in line with our assessment priorities. We assessed the following service groups:
- Urgent and emergency care
Overall, the service was rated as good.
We conducted an on-site, assessment visit at University Hospital Aintree Urgent and Emergency Care Services which included access, flow, and care of patients in the temporary escalation areas. We assessed all the quality statements from the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions. The service provided and maintained safe systems of care, in which safety was managed, monitored, and assured.
The service was previously rated as inadequate in 2021 and it is now rated as good. It was last partially inspected to follow up on previous enforcement action in September 2023, but it was not rated at that time.
We looked at 10 sets of patient clinical records; we spoke with 8 patients; we spoke with 8 family members or friends; and we spoke with 16 members of staff.
We assessed quality statements within key questions. Each quality statement assessed is awarded a score. Details on how we score can be found on our website: https://www.cqc.org.uk/about-us/how-we-do-our-job/ratings
You can find further information about we carried out our assessments at:https://www.cqc.org.uk/about-us/how-we-do-our-job/what-we-do-inspection
People's experience of this service
Patients, their family, and carers were positive about interaction with staff and the treatment they received in the emergency department. All said they were treated with compassion and kindness. All patients felt communication was good and that they were informed of care options and treatment plans. Patients and their families felt there was adequate and visible staff in the department, and that it was clean and tidy.
Many said they were treated with privacy and dignity, however when patients were waiting in areas not designed for clinical care (temporary escalation spaces), they experienced difficulties maintaining confidentiality as conversations with staff could be overheard. On arrival at the emergency department patients who had walked in were assessed quickly but they reported long waits for a bed when admission was required. Patients arriving at the department by ambulance experienced delays in their care being transferred to hospital staff. People said they knew how to raise concerns.