Walsall NHS trust in special measures makes 'significant improvements' say inspectors

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor Hospital, was inspected last month by Health Education England, which examines the quality of teaching delivered by the trust.

Inspectors said the trust, which remains rated inadequate and in special measures along with the hospital, was improving.

A report said: "The Trust has made significant improvements towards education and training reflected in the positive experience reported by trainees in acute medicine. The trainees described good levels of education and training from enthusiastic and committed trainers."

Chandrika Balachandar, who is Walsall Healthcare Trust's director of postgraduate medical education, said this latest assessment showed the progress that has been made across the trust in just less than two years.

She added that various ‘job evaluation surveys’ completed confidentially by the trainees reported that 98 per cent of trainee doctors would recommend Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust as a supportive workplace amongst their peers.

“It is fantastic to hear such positive feedback from our trainee doctors at all levels within the organisation,” she said. “And this feedback is underpinned by the positive feedback we have also had from Health Education England.

“We were inspected in 2015, not long after the Care Quality Commission’s inspection, and among the themes that emerged were concerns around incident reporting, adequate support from senior colleagues and team work. When we were inspected again in July last year Health Education England saw our action plan that sought to tackle these issues and the efforts we were collectively making to address these concerns for our trainee doctors.

“When we were assessed again last month we received a really good report and the inspectors could see that we were working through the action plan to ensure that we did what we said we would do.

“Now we have improved input from senior colleagues both day to day and on call and have Consultants taking part in handovers. There is a much greater emphasis on team work and this in turn has boosted morale and built trainee doctors’ confidence at all levels.

“The fact that 98% have reported that Walsall Healthcare is a good place to work and they would recommend it as so speaks volumes about the progress we have made. We will ensure we continue to listen to our trainee doctors and work in partnership to deliver safe, high quality care to our patients and it is our duty to do so”.

Amir Khan, the trust’s medical director, said: “Our trainee doctors are a valued and vital part of our Walsall Healthcare workforce and we need to be confident that their training and development supports their progression.

“I would like to thank them for their open and honest assessments of the Trust throughout Health Education England’s inspections – it is this feedback that has enables us to work collaboratively to bring about meaningful improvements.

“Their endorsement of our Trust as a supportive workplace is also an important factor in helping to achieve our vision of becoming your partners for first class integrated care.”