Queen’s Medical Centre Faces Continued Concerns Over Emergency Care Standards

Urgent and emergency care at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham has again been rated as requiring improvement following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which identified concerns over staffing, patient safety and dignity.

The hospital, part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, provides a range of NHS services, including major trauma care, for people across Nottinghamshire and surrounding areas. CQC carried out an unannounced inspection in April as part of its ongoing monitoring of healthcare services.

The regulator found that emergency department pressures meant patients were sometimes treated in corridors because of limited space. This affected privacy and dignity, while staff did not always monitor patients consistently or provide effective handovers, increasing the risk of delays in recognising deteriorating conditions.

Training and staffing were also identified as areas requiring improvement. Mandatory training compliance among adult emergency department staff stood at 63%, below the trust’s target of 85%. Inspectors found gaps in training covering safeguarding, infection prevention and control, and assessing people’s mental capacity.

CQC also raised concerns about medicines management, finding that only 25% of patients receiving time-critical medicines had a pharmacy review in the department. This increased to 40% for higher-risk medicines, including treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

Other issues included limited toilet facilities for patients in corridor areas and unlocked, unattended computers displaying confidential information.

The service was rated as requiring improvement for safety, responsiveness, caring and leadership, while effectiveness remained good. CQC has requested action plans from the trust outlining how it will address concerns involving dignity, safe care, management and staffing.

Despite the concerns in emergency care, medical services at both Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital retained good ratings across all five assessment areas: safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership.

At Queen’s Medical Centre, inspectors highlighted compassionate care, effective partnership working and initiatives designed to improve patient experiences. One example involved collaboration with a local hair salon to provide wigs matching the hair and skin colours of people from ethnic minority backgrounds undergoing cancer treatment.

Inspectors also recognised an open and inclusive culture among ward leaders and staff, alongside efforts to support patients’ transition from hospital to community services.

At Nottingham City Hospital, CQC found staff provided compassionate, person-centred care and treated patients with dignity and respect. The trust had also addressed previous medicines management concerns through improved storage, guidance, audits and safer disposal arrangements.

Patients and relatives spoke positively about the care received, while inspectors noted that staff maintained appropriate care plans reflecting individual needs and preferences.

Carolyn Jenkinson, CQC deputy director of hospitals in the central region, said the emergency department was operating under considerable pressure, with patients sometimes receiving care in unsuitable corridor spaces.

She highlighted concerns about insufficient staff training, patient monitoring and communication, while also recognising positive teamwork and supportive relationships among emergency department staff.

CQC said it would continue monitoring the service and expects the trust to make further improvements, particularly in staffing, training and the safe management of patients treated in corridor areas.

The overall rating for Queen’s Medical Centre remains requires improvement, while Nottingham City Hospital retains its overall good rating.

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