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There is no doubt that inspection of hospitals and other healthcare organisations is conducive to a desirable outcome and drive improvement in quality of care.
However, as former Medical Director (2001-2011) and witness of inspection and turnaround of our Trust 3 years ago I wish to make the following points;
• When a hospital is criticised for its performance including putting it on special measures this should not stop the inspectors to still identify and highlight the areas of service delivery which are of good and even outstanding standard.
• From personal experience it feels when the external management team landed at our Trust with the aim of fixing the financial and governance problems they did not acknowledge the numerous areas of good healthcare delivery which did not help with staff morale.
• Reputation of hospitals is crucial as the impact of labelling them with substandard care has a detrimental effect not only on the welfare of the organisation but also on staff morale. This must be managed in a more sensitive and careful manner by the inspectors in order to achieve the best outcome.
Any opportunity for longer term benefits in terms of stimulus needed to deliver outstanding care is highly welcome. But at the same time if carefully and sensitively managed in a supportive manner it should not necessarily lead to short term or long term anguish.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
15 November 2015
Walid Al-Wali
Consultant Medical Microbiologist and Director for Infection Prevention and Control ( Former Medical Director 2001-2011)
Consultant at The Rotherham Foundation Trust and Honorary Professor to Sheffield Hallam University
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control,The Rotherham Foundation Trust,Moorgate Road,Rotherham,S60 2UD.
Re: Mike Richards: “Sometimes people can trade too much on reputation” But if sensitively managed it shouldn't necessarily cause anguish.
There is no doubt that inspection of hospitals and other healthcare organisations is conducive to a desirable outcome and drive improvement in quality of care.
However, as former Medical Director (2001-2011) and witness of inspection and turnaround of our Trust 3 years ago I wish to make the following points;
• When a hospital is criticised for its performance including putting it on special measures this should not stop the inspectors to still identify and highlight the areas of service delivery which are of good and even outstanding standard.
• From personal experience it feels when the external management team landed at our Trust with the aim of fixing the financial and governance problems they did not acknowledge the numerous areas of good healthcare delivery which did not help with staff morale.
• Reputation of hospitals is crucial as the impact of labelling them with substandard care has a detrimental effect not only on the welfare of the organisation but also on staff morale. This must be managed in a more sensitive and careful manner by the inspectors in order to achieve the best outcome.
Any opportunity for longer term benefits in terms of stimulus needed to deliver outstanding care is highly welcome. But at the same time if carefully and sensitively managed in a supportive manner it should not necessarily lead to short term or long term anguish.
Competing interests: No competing interests