The services were downgraded from good to requires improvement, although the CQC acknowledged the trust had ‘engaged well' and ‘taken steps to start addressing the issues', which were identified in an inspection that took place over a year ago.
Jayne Black, chief executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘We are very sorry that despite the best efforts of our hard-working staff, at the time of the last February's inspection the inspection team found that our care fell below the standard that everyone should expect in their time of need.
‘Over the last year we have made significant improvements so that patients attending our Emergency Department are treated sooner, are cared for in areas more suitable for their needs and receive appropriate and compassionate care.
‘We recognise there is much more for us to do, particularly to reduce delays for patients waiting to be admitted to a ward, so that every patient receives the high standard of care that we aspire to provide.
‘Staff throughout the hospital continue to work tirelessly, together with our ambulance, community and social care partners, to reduce delays and improve care for all for patients attending our Emergency Department.'
The trust highlighted a number of improvements since the inspection in February 2024, including:
- exceeding the national target to see, treat, discharge or admit patients within four hours of attending the Emergency Department (78%) throughout most of last year – up from 66% in December 2023
- improving ambulance handovers to consistently among the best in the country – 14 minutes on average in January 2025 – and well below the national average
- improving patient feedback with 75% of patients having a positive experience of care in February 2025, up from 65% in January 2024
- a new multimillion-pound ward with more than 30 beds for patients with serious breathing or heart conditions in April 2024
- regular Patient First improvement huddles where teams gather to raise and address concerns and instigate improvements.
