Devon Health Trust has been told to improve by Inspectors

The trust that runs the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital has been given an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ in a report published by the Care Quality Commission.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in May. It follows inspections across medicine, surgery and diagnostics in November 2022. It has ordered the trust to implement three new ‘must-do’ actions.

Following the inspection, the trust was rated as requires improvement overall and rated as good for being well-led and safe, effective and responsive.

Caring remains rated as outstanding and leaders were found to have the "skills, experience, and capacity to manage the trust".

There are three new ‘must-do’ actions following the well-led inspection:

• The Trust needs to ensure its systems and processes support it to oversee and respond to issues and risks more quickly and ensure learning from incidents, including never events and data issues.
• The Trust must ensure the information reported from its electronic patient record system is accurate and properly analysed to support regular audits to improve the quality of care.
• The Trust needs to achieve a stable financial position and continue to manage pressures so they do not compromise the quality of care.

This report now collates both inspections and has resulted in the CQC giving the Trust an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’. 

Cath Campbell, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said: "As a newly integrated trust, culture and inclusivity was a key focus to support the organisations to merge successfully.

"The trust recognised there was work to be done to bring teams together and build a culture that is inclusive. Staff satisfaction was mixed, but the board had ensured a plan of improving the culture and staff satisfaction was seen as a priority.

"Following the inspections, we reported our findings to the trust. Its leaders know what they must do to improve services, and where there's good practice on which they can build on."

Inspectors also found most staff felt respected, supported, and valued and felt proud to work in the organisation.