Walsall Manor health trust should not be in special measures - top inspector

England's Chief Inspector of Hospitals has said that Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust can exit special measures after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors found that progress had been made since the last inspection but there were still some issues for the trust to address, particularly in surgery and critical care.

As a result, the trust is rated 'requires improvement' overall, the same as after an inspection in 2017.

In addition to its overall rating, the trust is rated 'requires improvement' for whether its services are safe, effective, responsive and well-led. It is rated 'outstanding' for being caring.

Professor Ted Baker, CQC chief inspector of hospitals, said: “We found a number of improvements across maternity services and in urgent and emergency care.

"We also saw exceptional work in community health services, including sexual health services, where there was excellent engagement with patients and the wider community.

"Staff in this service also contributed to national specialist networks to share good practice, and they delivered campaigns to improve people’s understanding of sexual health.

“However, in surgery, a shortage of nursing staff meant people could not always access the service when they needed it, evidenced by an increase in cancelled procedures.

"People were also at risk of being exposed to avoidable harm because mandatory staff training, including for sepsis, wasn’t always completed.

"Patient records were not always comprehensive enough, and handovers between shifts were not consistent.

"Following the inspection, CQC reported its findings to the trust. The trust’s board knows what it must do to ensure all necessary improvements are made.

"We continue to monitor the trust, and we will return to carry out further inspections to check on any progress with improvements.”