CQC publishes report on leadership at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded the rating for how well-led Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is overall from good to requires improvement following an inspection in February this year.

The CQC downgrades rating for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded the rating for how well-led Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is overall from good to requires improvement following an inspection in February this year.

The trust provides a wide range of mental health, physical health, specialist, learning disability and neuro-rehabilitation community and hospital services to a population of around 950,000 people across the East of England. Services operate from over 50 sites, with main hubs in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough and Fenland.

This inspection was carried out in response to concerns about the trust’s culture and leadership identified during previous inspections of three of its mental health services.  

Stuart Dunn, CQC Deputy Director of Operations in the East of England:

“During our inspection, we saw a workforce and board committed to working more collaboratively, from a place of mutual respect under new leadership. While the trust had begun to take steps to improve culture and inclusion, leadership arrangements weren't fully embedded or consistently effective which is important to deliver meaningful impact for staff and people using services.

“Many staff told us they still didn’t feel confident raising concerns, and there were reports of poor communication and a lack of visible leadership. These are important areas for the trust to address to ensure staff feel safe, valued and heard as staff raising concerns plays an important role in improving people’s experiences.

“We also found that although the trust had outlined strategic priorities, leaders didn’t always clearly understand them or turn them into meaningful action. As a result, frontline teams often lacked the clarity or support needed to improve care.  

“However, we have seen encouraging signs of progress. The new chief executive was well received by staff and stakeholders, who described him as open and approachable. He had taken swift action where needed and under the chair’s leadership had the board and executive team working together in a respectful and collaborative way, creating a stronger foundation for the improvements that CQC needs to see happen.

“We saw committed staff who were enthusiastic and focused on supporting people. We saw good examples of innovative practice, inclusion and integrated care, such as services helping people manage their medicines safely and independently at home.

“We’ve shared our findings with the trust, so they know where improvements are needed, and we’ll continue to monitor them closely, including through future inspections, to ensure people are safe whilst this happens.”

Jess Slater, CEO at Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough:

"We recognise that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust provides vital care to many thousands of people across our area and that improvements to leadership and culture are not easy or immediate. It’s reassuring to see that the CQC has acknowledged early signs of progress under the Trust’s new leadership, alongside examples of good practice and committed staff delivering important services.

"At the same time, the report makes clear that there is more work to do to ensure all staff feel listened to and supported, and that people using services and their carers are meaningfully involved in shaping care.

"We look forward to continuing to work with the Trust as it takes forward its improvement journey, and we will keep listening to local people to ensure their voices are heard and acted upon."

The report will be published on the CQC’s website in the next few days.