Forum to allow public to ask about Derriford Hospital action plans

A one-off Question Time-style event allowing the public to ask questions about the Care Quality Commission’s report into Derriford will be set up, the Chair of the Caring Plymouth Scrutiny Panel today announced.

The healthcare watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), issued a formal warning to Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust after an investigation into eight serious patient safety incidents in the past year at Derriford Hospital.

Chair Councillor Mary Aspinall said the panel and the trust would work together to set up the event which would give the public reassurance that action plans in response to the inspection are being carried out.

The one-off forum would allow the public and organisations to submit questions to key representatives of the trust.

Councillor Aspinall welcomed the response of the trust to the CQC inspection report but said: “The inspection took place during a ‘black alert’ was timely, and enabled inspectors to review care during a time of high operational pressure,

“The issue of ‘never events’ which are serious, largely-preventable patient safety incidents have remained a concern of the panel over the last 12 months.

“While the panel has received assurances from the trust that learning from the events had been applied to their policies and procedures, it is clear that there is more work to be done.”

The question and answer session – or the ‘health accountability forum’ – will take place before the end of summer and the inspector’s report would form the basis of issues covered through the panel.

Councillor Aspinall said: “We want the public to be assured that the action plans are happening and that the work of the trust is being reviewed and monitored.”

She added that while the level of ‘never events’ at the trust remain a concern, it should be noted that the overwhelming majority of patients treated at Derriford Hospital receive a high level of care provided by professional, attentive staff.

The Caring Plymouth Scrutiny Panel, which is the new name for the Plymouth’s Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel, will continue to challenge and monitor the quality of health and social care – from early intervention and prevention through to hospital care.