Hospital inspected over 'risks to people' concerns

Concerns over "risks to people" at a hospital in South Yorkshire have sparked a health watchdog to carry out an unannounced snap inspection.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited urgent and emergency services at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, which is part of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, on 8 and 9 December.

A report about their findings was expected to be published in due course, the CQC said.

Karen Jessop, chief nurse at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: "Inspections are part and parcel of running a safe hospital and we welcome all visits - unannounced or otherwise - from our regulators."

The trust provides acute services for 420,000 people across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and the surrounding areas and it employs at least 6,000 staff.

The CQC said the latest inspection report would be published on its website following "usual quality assurances processes".

A spokesperson added: "CQC's priority, at all times, is the health and wellbeing of people using health and social care services, and all information we receive informs our monitoring of services and future inspections.

"We'd encourage anyone who has concerns about a health and social care service to let us know."

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was previously downgraded from "good" to "requires improvement" following a full inspection by the CQC in 2023.

Earlier this month, the trust apologised for lengthy waiting times in its audiology department after a series of failings were identified.

Separately, also in December, the British Medical Association said the trust's executive medical director, who had raised concerns about bullying and harassment, had been "unlawfully excluded" from his role.

At the time, a trust spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases, but that allegations of bullying or inappropriate behaviour were taken "extremely seriously".

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