Legal Experts Reveal Concerns Following Damning CQC Report

Specialist medical negligence lawyers have welcomed the “urgent action” being taken to improve services at Kettering General Hospital, after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) recommended that the site be placed in special measures.

In a new report, inspectors from the CQC have given the Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust an overall rating of inadequate, with it receiving the same rating in the specific areas of safety and also whether the organisation was well-led.

Three core services were also rated as inadequate, including urgent and emergency care and services for children and young people. Three more also required improvement, including medical care and maternity and gynaecology.

Following the release of the report, Kettering General Hospital has already stated that work is underway to improve standards and the reaction has been welcomed by specialist lawyers in the Medical Negligence team at Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office. The legal experts specialise in providing legal advice and support to those affected by serious patient safety failings.

Sarah Wealleans, a Solicitor and medical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: 

Expert Opinion

“It is clear that urgent action was required to address the concerns raised by the CQC, so it is important that steps are already being taken to improve standards across the key areas.

“It is particularly concerning to see any hospital failing to meet requirements in relation to safety, as the welfare of patients should always be the fundamental priority for such organisations. Sadly, we see a great number of incidents in which this has not been the case, with such problems having a lasting impact on both victims and their loved ones.

“The fact that some people may have been placed at unnecessary risk is clearly a significant concern and an issue that should not be taken lightly, so it is vital that standards are brought up to the required level as soon as possible.

“We also hope that lessons can be learned which will ensure that issues of this kind do not emerge again in the future.” Sarah Wealleans - Senior Associate Solicitor