Services at Wye Valley NHS Trust Hereford Hospital have been found to be “inadequate” upon inspection by the Trust Development Authority in October 2014.  The inspection resulted in the hospital being placed in special measures, stating that particular concern was raised to medical care and emergency services.  In February of 2015 an improvement director was appointed by the Trust and a further announced inspection took place in September of 2015.  Yet a further inspection, this time unannounced, was carried out at the end of September and focus groups were held to discuss the areas of improvement required.

For over 150 years, district nurses have been supporting people in their own homes, keeping them out of hospital.  Official figures are showing, however, that the number of district nurses has fallen by 40% in the past 10 years.  The Health and Social Care Information Centre has reported that where a decade ago there were around 13000 district nurses working for the NHS in England, there are now fewer than 7500, many of whom are close to retirement age.  At the same time, the pressure on hospital accident and emergency departments is increasing, with attendances rising by approximately 50% in the past 10 years.  Nursing leaders are describing NHS community nursing in England as “lamentable”.

Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham has issued an apology to 90 year-old Margaret Slater after leaving her to lie on a trolley in the Accident and Emergency department on 11 November without food or water for 11 hours.  The dementia patient was taken to the hospital suffering from severe hallucinations and was seen by a nurse upon her arrival.  Three hours later she was seen by a doctor who said that she should be admitted to the hospital, however she was left where she was for a further eight hours before being moved to a ward.