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NHS Trust's 'Blame Culture' Exposed by Inspectors
12 Jun
Summary
- Inspectors found unsafe staffing and a 'blame culture' at the trust.
- The trust must make immediate improvements, according to the CQC.
- Durham Police are investigating potential criminal offenses.
Inspectors have revealed that County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDNFT) suffered from unsafe staffing levels and a deeply ingrained 'blame culture.' The Care Quality Commission (CQC) mandated immediate improvements after finding that care standards had declined.
Staff reported being actively discouraged from voicing concerns, a finding that contributed to the trust's 'well-led' rating being downgraded from 'good' to 'inadequate.' This situation is compounded by ongoing investigations by Durham Police into multiple failings within breast cancer services.
Serious safety concerns were identified across University Hospital North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, and Bishop Auckland Hospital. These issues encompassed safe staffing, patient deterioration management, record-keeping, and incident learning.
Trust leaders also failed to consistently notify relevant organizations about serious incidents, sometimes learning of them through media reports. Despite these challenges, the trust's community health services for adults were rated as 'good'.
