Leadership at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Inspectors have identified concerns over staff morale, patient safety, governance and a culture where some employees fear speaking up, according to a report published today (Friday).
The assessment was the regulator’s first since the trust was formed in October 2024 through the merger of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and Solent NHS Trust, alongside the transfer of some services from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust.
Inspectors found the trust had made significant progress in bringing together 4 organisations, but said cultural and governance changes had not yet filtered through to frontline services.
Staff told the CQC senior leaders were not visible, describing a disconnect between clinical and non-clinical teams. Around 18% of staff surveyed said they would not feel confident raising concerns because they believed nothing would change or feared retaliation.
The report also highlights concerns raised by staff working in acute mental health services, who said unsafe admissions were affecting the wellbeing of both patients and colleagues and that safety concerns were sometimes overlooked.
Inspectors found delays in sharing learning from safety incidents, confusion over reporting structures and multiple incompatible electronic systems, creating a risk that important patient information could be lost when people transferred between services. Difficulties with training systems also left mandatory Mental Health Act training at 75% during the inspection.
The CQC also said more work was needed to improve equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff from protected groups, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds and disabled employees, described negative experiences when applying for promotions and development opportunities.
Despite the concerns, inspectors praised the dedication of frontline staff, with patients and carers describing care as compassionate and saying they were involved in decisions about treatment. The trust was also recognised for its partnership working, research activity and innovation, including developing lived experience leadership roles and using virtual psychologists and consultants to improve access to care.
Serena Coleman, CQC Deputy Director of Mental Health in the South, said the trust had made “significant work” to establish the new organisation but that cultural and governance improvements had not fully embedded, impacting staff morale.
She said the trust understood the improvements required and that the CQC would continue to monitor progress.
The CQC were told by 18% of staff surveyed that they would not feel confident raising concerns because they believed nothing would change or feared retaliation, yet that same CQC demand “more work was needed to improve equality, diversity and inclusion”
The two are incompatible.
I raise again the disgraceful case of Jennifer Melle, a nurse who was abused by a male patient who “identifies” as a woman and who was suspended because she refused to call him “a woman”.
The NHS is enthral to this woke DEI divisionary tactic and for the CQC to demand even more is a disgrace to frontline staff.
“Despite the concerns, inspectors praised the dedication of frontline staff, with patients and carers describing care as compassionate and saying they were involved in decisions about treatment”
As a patient, I have nothing but praise for St. Marys doctors and nurses who are doing a very difficult job with one hand tied behind their back and live in constant fear of the woke paper shufflers.
I must admit a lot of the staff are useless, there is no other
word to describe them.
Majority of them are doing the job for the money
not because they care.
It used to be a calling
Why must YOU admit that?? Are you responsible?
You use the words “a lot” and “majority”….be interested to see the stats that you are basing this on.
From what I have seen and experienced
MAYBE ONE DAY YOU WILL SEE FOR YOURSELF
UNTIL THEN TAKE A CHILL PILL
Bless you
Enough is enough just says the same boring rubbish time and time again
They’ve no real clue what’s what as they probably never actually leave the basement they fester in making derogatory statements about the NHS!
one day they’ll need help, let’s see then how they respond
I could tell you things that would put the sh*ts up you.
The No Hope Service is not fit for purpose
And you know this how do you know how much dedication it takes to work a 12!!!hour shift on the wards still have to write up reports before you go home?I doubt it you spend all your hours being a non-consequential contributed on here with nothing new to say!.My nieces are ward sisters and the tales they can tell you about Joe public and their demands would make your toes curl but then your probably one of the ward moaners!.
Shirk you mean, on night shifts they are surfing the net
and reading magazines.
Not to mention all the cigarette and vape breaks.
You have a lot to learn, the NHS is a gravy train.
I forgot to mention all the NHS employees shirking from
home since the pandemic.
So glad I was referred to Southampton for my cancer diagnosis and care, 2 years back and forth over here, referral to Southampton, diagnosis and planned operation within 8 weeks, the staff are exceptional over there, it made a difficult time so much easier, possibly as close to going private but still NHS!
Southampton Hospital is excellent. I cannot say the
same for the Hospital on the island.