Concerns over care of children with sepsis at Walsall Manor Hospital

Bosses at Walsall Manor Hospital have drawn up an "urgent action plan" after concerns were raised by the health watchdog following an inspection.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said eight patients who had the deadly condition - four adults and four children - could have been managed better after reviewing 22 cases.

Issues raised by the CQC included safeguarding mandatory training and staffing, while concerns specifically around the management of sepsis in paediatrics were flagged up, a report on the inspection said.

The report said: "On review of the evidence submitted, the CQC raised concern with management of sepsis in paediatrics, and paediatric emergency department staffing in relation to maintaining two paediatric nurses on each shift. Immediate interim actions were put in place to mitigate risk."

Sepsis, caused by the body's reaction to an infection, is one of the UK's biggest killers.

'Robust'

Richard Beeken, chief executive of the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the Manor, informed the board at a recent meeting that an "urgent action plan" was being developed and would be sent to the CQC in response to the concerns.

He told the Express & Star: “The CQC recently carried out a routine, focused inspection of our Emergency Department and raised concerns that we had not been proactively auditing whether or not our patients - adults and children - with suspected sepsis were getting the right care.

"Since this feedback we have undertaken two clear actions; firstly increasing cover in the department to ensure that the right care is always given and secondly introducing a more robust auditing process.

“We continue to work with staff, our patients and their families to raise awareness of this potentially fatal condition where time is of the essence.

"We have also held a number of training sessions around deteriorating patients to focus this effort further.”

It comes after the Express & Star reported earlier this month the Walsall trust had recorded more than 2,295 harmful patient safety incidents during between October last year and April, up by 10 per cent and including 14 incidents which resulted in death.

The notice to improve on sepsis care heaps more pressure on the hospital and it battles the second wave of coronavirus.