CQC upgrades end-of-life care but identifies ongoing concerns in emergency departments at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole hospitals

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has upgraded the rating for end-of-life care at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby and Scunthorpe General Hospital from Inadequate to Good following inspections carried out in February.

The regulator also inspected urgent and emergency services at both hospitals in January, where services remain rated Requires Improvement.

Both hospitals are operated by Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, which provides acute hospital services across North Lincolnshire and the surrounding area. The inspections were carried out to assess progress since previous visits.

End-of-life care

Inspectors found significant improvements in end-of-life care at both hospitals, resulting in overall Good ratings for the services.

The CQC reported that both hospitals had strengthened systems for learning from incidents, accidents and near misses. Staff consistently respected people’s religious, cultural and social preferences, ensuring care reflected individual wishes and needs.

Inspectors also found appropriate training and support were in place for caring for people with additional needs, including those living with dementia, learning disabilities, autism, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

The report highlighted compassionate care throughout the service, with staff responding sensitively to people experiencing distress or anxiety and ensuring that, where people lacked capacity to make decisions, care was provided in their best interests with those important to them appropriately involved.

The CQC also found improvements in identifying people who required end-of-life care and greater continuity of care through specialist teams.

Urgent and emergency care

Urgent and emergency services at both hospitals remain rated Requires Improvement, with inspectors identifying continued breaches of regulations.

At Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, the CQC found breaches relating to staffing and the overall management of the service. At Scunthorpe General Hospital, breaches related to safe care and treatment and overall service management.

Inspectors found that patients were not always assessed promptly after arriving at the emergency department, while ambulance handover delays meant some people waited extended periods before being transferred into hospital care.

The report also identified concerns about paediatric waiting areas at both hospitals, which did not meet national standards because children were not adequately separated from adult patients. During periods of high demand, adults were also accommodated within these waiting areas.

Senior leaders recognised overcrowding and delays in moving patients to inpatient wards as significant operational risks. At Scunthorpe General Hospital, inspectors found that while comprehensive training was available, mandatory training compliance remained below the trust’s target.

Despite these concerns, the CQC found staff treated patients with dignity and respect and involved people and their families in decisions about their care. Both emergency departments also provided quiet rooms to support people and families experiencing distress or receiving difficult news.

The overall ratings for Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Scunthorpe General Hospital, and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust all remain Requires Improvement.

The CQC said it will continue to monitor the trust’s progress, particularly in relation to improvements required within urgent and emergency services.

Stay informed with the stories shaping health and social care.