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NHS regulator intervenes after botched operations at Cambridge hospitals NHS regulator intervenes after botched operations at Cambridge hospitals
(about 1 hour later)
The health watchdog Monitor is taking action against the NHS trust which runs Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge after a series of botched operations, including an eye operation on the wrong patient. The health watchdog Monitor is taking action against the NHS trust which runs Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge after a series of botched operations.
Within one month, surgical teams at Cambridge University hospitals NHS foundation trust made major mistakes on four separate operations. Surgical teams at Cambridge University hospitals NHS foundation trust made major mistakes on four separate operations in one month.
Overall, eight incidents occurred that are on the "never" list – mistakes that must never be allowed to happen. They included two patients being left with instruments inside their bodies after an operation, two women having been left with tampons inside the vagina following childbirth, and another patient having an operation on the wrong part of the body. There were eight incidents on the "never" list – mistakes that should never happen. They included two patients left with surgical instruments in their bodies, two women left with tampons in the vagina following childbirth, and a patient having an operation on the wrong part of the body.
The case of wrong person surgery was the last of seven patients who was scheduled to have a lens inserted in their eye. When the sixth patient did not arrive at the operating theatre in time, the operation on the seventh went ahead – but using the lens intended for the sixth. The patient then had to undergo further surgery to remove it and have the correct lens put in. An eye patient who received a lens intended for another patient who did not arrive at the operating theatre in time had to undergo corrective surgery.
Monitor notes that the trust was not using the World Health Organistion surgical safety checklists, which can help prevent mistakes. Monitor notes that the trust was not using the World Health Organistion surgical safety checklists. The catalogue of mistakes compounded other problems at the trust. The trigger for Monitor's intervention was the failure of Cambridge University hospitals to meet targets on waiting times for cancer care in three successive quarters. A&E targets were not met and the trust's financial performance was poor.
The catalogue of mistakes compounded other problems at the trust. The trigger for Monitor's intervention was the failure of Cambridge University hospitals to meet targets on waiting times for cancer care in three successive quarters. A&E targets were also not met and the trust's financial performance was poor. "This is not the first time we have called the trust in to explain itself. We are disappointed that the board has not resolved these issues," said Monitor's managing director of provider regulation, Stephen Hay. "We note the trust has a new chair and will shortly appoint a new chief executive. We expect them to demonstrate they are getting the trust back on track as quickly as possible."
"This is not the first time we have called the trust in to explain itself. We are disappointed that the board has not resolved these issues," said Monitor's managing director of provider regulation, Stephen Hay. The trust runs two hospitals: Addenbrooke's, and Rosie's maternity hospital. Monitor has required the trust board to commission a governance and effectiveness review. The board must report every month to the regulator on its progress.
"We note the trust has a new chair and will shortly appoint a new chief executive. We expect them to demonstrate they are getting the trust back on track as quickly as possible." The trust chair, Jane Ramsey, said: "We take Monitor's concerns very seriously and we are determined to reverse the situation as soon as possible. My top priority, as the new chairman, will be to get to grips with these performance issues with my team and we will be setting up a taskforce to swiftly get back on track.
The trust runs two hospitals: the world-famous Addenbrooke's, and Rosie's maternity hospital. Monitor has required the trust board to commission a governance and effectiveness review. The board must report every month to the regulator on its progress.
The CUH chair, Jane Ramsey, said: "We take Monitor's concerns very seriously and we are determined to reverse the situation as soon as possible. My top priority, as the new chairman, will be to get to grips with these performance issues with my team and we will be setting up a taskforce to swiftly get back on track.
"We will be focusing on turning this trust around, so once more we can be justifiably proud of our record as one of the leading trusts in the country."We will be focusing on turning this trust around, so once more we can be justifiably proud of our record as one of the leading trusts in the country.
"We are working to improve our performance on meeting targets every month but we know we could do better. We are treating more people than ever before and our health outcomes are amongst the best in the country. I am committed to retaining this achievement but also to meeting the standards that are required. Our priority remains the care of our patients – they are at the heart of everything we do.""We are working to improve our performance on meeting targets every month but we know we could do better. We are treating more people than ever before and our health outcomes are amongst the best in the country. I am committed to retaining this achievement but also to meeting the standards that are required. Our priority remains the care of our patients – they are at the heart of everything we do."
Diane Abbott, the shadow public health minister, said: "It's right that Monitor takes action because patient safety must be the priority. Why isn't patient care a top priority for this government? I'm concerned that we're seeing the beginnings of a national patient care crisis here. The NHS has been thrown into chaos, the government has become sidetracked by an expensive ideological reorganisation, and they have boasted about increasing NHS spending when in fact they have cut it in real terms.
"The government urgently needs to start focusing on ensuring patient safety, instead of their blinkered pursuit of forcing free-market competition into our health services."
The trust failed to ensure that patients started treatment within 62 days of referral from their GP for three quarters in succession. In July last year, 27 out of 124 cancer patients had to wait for more than the maximum two months.
A&E targets stipulate that 95% of patients must be seen within four hours of arrivial, and the trust achieved 92.5%. The trust told Monitor it had insufficent bed capacity, inefficient processes in the emergency department and too few acute medical staff. It also claimed that ambulances were bypassing other hospitals to bring patients to Addenbrooke's. On 2 April this year it became the east of England's major trauma centre.
Monitor says it has concern over the trust's financial viability, board governance and clinical performance. The trust is said to be significantly falling short on financial savings required of all trusts, achieving £8.1m against a target of £12.3m.