Emergency care at London hospital improves following CQC inspection

Urgent and emergency services at University College Hospital and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing have been rated good after inspectors found improvements in patient safety, waiting times and the overall culture of the service.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an unannounced inspection in March as part of its ongoing monitoring of healthcare services. The services, which are run by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, had previously been rated requires improvement.

Following the latest inspection, ratings for safety and responsiveness have increased from requires improvement to good. The service was also rated good for being effective, caring and well-led.

Inspectors found a stronger safety culture was now in place, with incidents investigated thoroughly and lessons shared with staff to reduce the risk of similar problems happening again. Staff also felt supported when incidents occurred rather than working within a culture of blame.

A weekly incident review group, chaired by senior executives, had been established to examine safety concerns and ensure learning was communicated across the service.

Patients also reported positive experiences of emergency care. People who spoke to inspectors said they felt safe and well cared for, while staff were described as kind and compassionate. Patient survey results supported those findings, with the trust performing better than expected for interactions with doctors and nurses, including how well staff listened, explained care and involved patients in decisions.

The CQC highlighted a structured two-year improvement programme introduced by leaders, which had contributed to better performance against the four-hour emergency care standard, improved patient flow and a more positive culture across the service.

Safeguarding arrangements were also found to be robust. At the time of the inspection, 91% of staff were up to date with mandatory safeguarding training, with oversight provided by a named safeguarding lead, paediatric lead consultant and lead nurse.

Staff were working closely with mental health liaison services, community teams and ambulance services to coordinate care across different organisations. Inspectors also found the emergency department was clean and well maintained, with equipment regularly checked and considered safe for use.

Staff wellbeing and professional development had received investment from the trust, which has been rated the best acute and community trust for being a recommended place to work for four consecutive years.

Despite the progress, inspectors identified an area where further work was needed. Not all frontline staff understood the trust’s wider strategic direction, and the CQC said improvements would need to be embedded and sustained.

The regulator will continue to monitor the service following the inspection.

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