Patients 'being treated like cattle' claim Shropshire hospital staff
Staff at the trust running Shropshire's two main hospitals told health inspectors that patients were being treated like 'animals and cattle' in 'unsafe, demeaning, undignified, and disgusting' conditions, it has been claimed.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs Telford's Princess Royal Hospital as well as Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, was recently visited by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
They raised concerns around A&E and ‘boarding’ on wards.
According to the Health Service Journal, a leaked letter from the regulator sent to the trust chief executive Simon Wright has now revealed the extent of the concerns.
It reportedly said patients were being treated in “inappropriate areas” that were “not designed for accommodating them”.
This is known as "boarding" and can involve patients being treated in corridors or squeezed into extra spaces on wards.
The letter purportedly said: “Staff across all areas and grades raised concerns with us about this practice and told us they felt it was unsafe, demeaning, undignified, and disgusting.
“Two staff members told us they felt patients who were boarded were treated like ‘animals’ and ‘cattle’.”
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According to the report, the CQC said it was considering using its section 31 powers which would give it the ability to ultimately suspend a trust’s registration or impose restrictions on it.
It is claimed that other concerns outlined by the CQC included a patient with diabetes being forced to ask inspectors for help after they were left without food or fluids for 15 hours despite multiple requests.
Chief executive of the trust, Mr Wright said: “The trust has received a letter from the CQC and we accept their findings.
“An action plan is in place to address the concerns they have highlighted and we are working closely with the inspection team to resolve these matters.
“Our teams at SaTH work incredibly hard every day of the year to care for the 500,000 people of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales that we serve, and I and the board will be doing everything in our power to make sure they can deliver that care in the safest and kindest way possible.”
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies says there have been concerns for many months and has called on the government to intervene.
Meanwhile, health bosses are considering whether a temporary overnight closure of either the A&E in Telford or Shrewsbury will need to be put in place as they have warned the situation is heading to breaking point.
A CQC spokesman said: "Our inspection of SaTH is currently ongoing.
“During our on site assessment we identified a number of safety concerns.
"As a result we discussed these concerns with the executive team and requested they took immediate action.
"We have written to the trust’s chief executive to advise that we are considering urgent enforcement action and to ask for evidence of the steps the trust has now taken to ensure patients are safe and protected from risk.
“We are currently reviewing the trust's response to determine whether it is necessary to use our urgent enforcement powers and we will report on our findings and any action we take in due course.”