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Health regulator secures commitments from troubled Northamptonshire trust to improve

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has agreed a set of urgent improvements to A&E arrangements at the trust to improve care for patients. 

Monitor is taking regulatory action following repeated breaches of a national target for the trust to see 95% of patients in its A&E unit within 4 hours. The regulator is also concerned that the trust’s weakness in providing high quality A&E care is indicative of wider problems in how it is being run.

Monitor has secured legally binding undertakings from the trust’s new leadership team that the necessary changes will be effectively implemented.

Under the new package of regulatory measures the trust has agreed to:

  • Create a robust and credible Emergency Care Action Plan by 9 May 2014
  • Undertake a thorough analysis of the causes of past breaches of the A&E target
  • Initiate a rolling weekly analysis programme that identifies why targets have been missed and then regularly update the Emergency Action Plan accordingly
  • Identify the key internal and external risks to providing quality emergency care in the long-term and develop solutions to them.

The trust has also agreed to ensure that it is fully compliant with all Health and Safety Executive and local Fire Authority requirements. 
Adam Cayley, Regional Director at Monitor, said:

"We believe this strong package of regulatory measures will ensure the trust makes the necessary improvement that will enable patients to receive high quality care.

"We acknowledge the trust’s new leadership team has made progress in addressing long-running issues around A&E care. However, there is still much work to be done before the trust can be said to be consistently providing patients with satisfactory emergency care and is being run effectively.

"We will be monitoring the trust’s progress closely and will not hesitate to take further regulatory action if required."

ENDS

Notes to editors

  • For media enquiries, contact the Monitor press office on 0207 340 0800 (press.office@monitor.gov.uk)
  • Monitor has been taking regulatory action against the trust since October 2012 over a variety of issues
  • There has been a significant number of recent Board-level changes at the trust, that include the appointment of a new Chairman and Chief Executive
  • Monitor is the sector regulator of NHS-funded health care services and its main duty is to protect and promote the interests of patients
  • More information about Monitor's role can be found here
  • Follow us on Twitter - @MonitorUpdate
Channel website: http://www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk

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