Bristol hospitals warned on staff shortages

Staff shortages at Bristol hospitals, including the Bristol Royal Infirmary, are affecting emergency services, leading to too many cancelled operations and leaving outpatient services struggling to cope with demand.

That is the view of the England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, who has today released a report on the quality of services at the seven hospitals in Bristol which are run by University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

While inspectors came across “caring and committed staff, who were prepared to go the extra mile on behalf of their patients”, high demand was placing pressure on a range of services.

Professor Sir Mike Richards said he had “no doubt that the high occupancy rate and the staff shortages we found in places have been affecting the patients’ experience”.

Overall the trust has been rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ following the inspection in September, when a team of 51 people visited all seven hospitals which make up the trust’s main site in the centre of Bristol.   

Accident and emergency, critical care, maternity and family planning, end of life care and services for children were rated Good. Medical care, surgery and outpatients were rated Requires Improvement.

Inspectors found every service to be caring, with staff who provided kind and compassionate care and treatment.

But the high demand was particularly affecting urgent and emergency services, surgery, medical care, critical care and outpatient services. Patients often waited too long in accident and emergency and were not always cared for on the most appropriate ward for their condition or had to be moved between wards when there was no medical need.

Meanwhile, too many operations were cancelled. Outpatient services were struggling to meet the demand for their services and there were long waiting times for people in clinics.

“Throughout the hospitals, my inspectors came across caring and committed staff, who were prepared to go the extra mile on behalf of their patients,” Prof Richards said.

“Outpatient services were struggling to meet the demand, with long waiting times for people in clinics, and the admin staff under a lot of pressure. Patients were not kept informed of the delays, or the reasons for them.

“There is no doubt that the high occupancy rate and the staff shortages we found in places have been affecting the patients’ experience.

“The delays in moving on patients who no longer need a hospital bed meant that other patients were waiting too long to be admitted, or their operations cancelled or they were being cared for on the wrong wards.

“I know that significant work has been undertaken by the trust to increase capacity and improve patient flow. The trust will need to work closely with all the other local agencies to ensure that people who are ready to be discharged from hospital get the support they need as soon as possible. I will continue to monitor this closely.”