West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Type of Trust | |
---|---|
NHS hospital trust | |
Trust Details | |
Last annual budget | |
Employees | >4000[1] |
Chair | Mahdi Hasan |
Chief Executive | Jac Kelly MBE[2] |
Links | |
Website | West Herts Hospitals |
Care Quality Commission reports | CQC |
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust runs three National Health Services hospitals: Watford General Hospital, St Albans City Hospital and Hemel Hempstead General Hospital, in Hertfordshire, England. It provides "acute healthcare services to a core catchment population of approximately half a million people living in west Hertfordshire and the surrounding area".[1] The Trust also "serves people living in North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire".[1]
In July 2016 Katie Fisher from the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust took over as Chief Executive.[3]
Finance
It has wrestled with the financial difficulties of running on several sites for many years.[4] In June 2012 it was proposed to develop a local general hospital on the Hemel Hempstead Hospital site.[5] In January 2015 the trust was operating with a deficit of £16.3 million - at that point in the year £4.3 million worse than planned, but with expectation of hitting its budgeted deficit target of £14 million. A loan for £11.1 million towards the trust’s capital costs has been approved by the Department of Health; a request for another £22.7 million of temporary borrowing was at that point still being considered.[6] In February 2016 it was expecting a deficit of £37.2 million for the year 2015/6.[7]
Criticism and praise
Former Chief Executive Samantha Jones was named by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) as Chief Executive of the Year in November 2014.[8] The Trust's daily Onion patient safety meeting, "an initiative aimed at improving patient care and empowering hospital staff to raise concerns about the quality of care provided",[9] was also Highly Commended in the 2014 HSJ Awards [10] The Onion's name refers to "the scheme ‘peeling back the layers’ within its hospitals".[9]
Performance
In December 2013 the Trust was one of thirteen hospital trusts named by Dr Foster Intelligence as having higher than expected higher mortality indicator scores for the period April 2012 to March 2013 in their Hospital Guide 2013.[11] The mortality rate subsequently fell by a quarter, an improvement credited to issues raised and dealt with at Onion meetings.[9]
The trust was one of 26 responsible for half of the national growth in patients waiting more than four hours in accident and emergency over the 2014/5 winter.[12]
It was put into special measures In September 2015 after the Care Quality Commission rated its services as “inadequate”. The inspectors found A&E patients at Watford General facing long delays before they were examined by a doctor where unqualified staff assessed A&E arrivals, and there was a dangerous lack of nurses. The problems were attributed to understaffing over a long period and excessive use of agency and locum staff.[13]
It spent 9.7% of its total turnover on agency staff in 2014/5.[14]
Maternity
Following a Care Quality Commission inspection in April 2015 the Trust decided to suspend the private obstetric service at Watford General Hospital. This affected 27 mothers due to give birth after May 1.[15]
See also
References
- ^ a b c http://www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/about/
- ^ http://www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/about/whos_who.asp
- ^ "London Eye: Chain-gang". Health Service Journal. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "Herts consultation labelled a 'sham'". Health Service Journal. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ "Business case for new hospital in Hemel". Health Service Journal. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ "West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is worse in debt than planned". Watford Observer. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ "One in four trusts plunge deeper into the red". Health Service Journal. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ^ "HSJ Awards 2014: Chief Executive of the Year". Health Service Journal. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ a b c http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/more-news/hospitals-boss-wins-oscar-of-the-nhs-world-1-6431366
- ^ http://www.hsj.co.uk/awards/hsj-awards/hsj-awards-2014-patient-safety/5076928.article#.VNNM6j288pk
- ^ "Dr Foster identifies 13 trusts with high mortality ratios". Health Service Journal. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "26 trusts responsible for half of national A&E target breach". Health Service Journal. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
- ^ "NHS hospital trust put in special measures over serious care failings". Watford Observer. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Agency spending: the real picture". Health Service Journal. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ "'Anxious, devastated and disgusted' - births at private maternity unit suspended". Borehamwood Times. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.