SerpApi.Org
Urgent and emergency care at Bradford Royal Infirmary has been downgraded after an inspection by the health watchdog found long waits, safety risks and staffing pressures.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said inspectors found people waiting more than 24 hours to be seen, delays in patients' pain relief and out-of-date medicines, as well as dirty and bloodstained equipment in the paediatric resuscitation rooms.
The department has now been rated as requires improvement, having previously been rated as good.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals said the trust had already implemented an action plan since the inspection and staffing had been increased in the department.
The CQC carried out an unannounced inspection in September and identified five breaches of regulation, including over safe care, treatment and staffing.
Inspectors reported people facing long delays and examples of patients being discharged home after treatment because no beds were available, which the CQC said "placed them at risk of further harm or deterioration".
Chris Storton, CQC deputy director of operations in the north east, said: "People reported concerns over delays and lengthy waits for things such as pain relief or support for personal hygiene needs.
"One person told us they pressed their buzzer to request support to go to the toilet, but had been waiting a while which compromised their comfort and dignity."
The inspection also found that the department was receiving about 400 patients a day, despite it being designed to receive 250.
The report said this contributed to overcrowding, delays in triage and long waits for specialist reviews.
'Compassionate staff'
The CQC report also stated that staff had said they did not have time to provide the level of care they wanted to, and that "leaders didn't ensure staff had time to take their breaks, which affected their wellbeing".
In addition, inspectors reported a number of environmental and equipment risks, including unlocked cupboards containing chemicals and consumables and items that had not been safety tested for months.
Despite the downgrade, staff were praised for being consistently kind, compassionate and working hard under considerable pressure.
Inspectors also highlighted there were no instances where patients received clinical care in the department's corridors.
Storton added: "Staff told us corridor care was never accepted, and they worked hard not to leave people waiting there."
A spokesperson for Bradford Teaching Hospitals said as a result of the changes it had since implemented, it was "confident that should an inspection take place now we have made the necessary improvements to address the issues identified".
Meanwhile, they said that performance remained above the national average, but acknowledged people's experience of care did not always meet expectations.
The trust said high demand and ageing buildings were key pressures and that it continued to lobby for significant investment.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
