External report criticises Pennine Acute

A report commissioned by the NHS North West Strategic Health Authority in December last has been critical of several areas of the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s operations.

The report, seen by Rochdale Online, acknowledges that the Trust has had a reputation from the outset as “a difficult organisation” and says that doubts remain as to whether the merging of four district general hospitals is a “viable model” and says that “in some quarters these doubts remain”. It warns that, “... the question of whether the configuration of trusts across this part of Manchester is right is still being raised. If [the] Trust fails to achieve Foundation Trust (FT) status this will become an active issue.”

The report was prepared as Pennine Acute attempts to achieve FT status which will give it more power to raise capital as well as more flexibility in setting terms, conditions and pay for many of its 9,000-plus staff.

The report recognises that the Trust has done well on things overseen by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) such as mortality indices and reduced hospital acquired infection rates. It also says that the Trust deserves “considerable credit for delivering what has been one of the biggest service changes in the country”.

The report goes on to claim that the Trust “has a take it or leave it approach” to those who commission its services and a “lack of understanding for commissioners’ point of view.” It says that letters of complaint about performance from commissioners were dealt with by way of “detailed rebuttal of individual points rather than a meaningful dialogue about options”.

It also says that the early withdrawal of Cardiology Implantable Devices from Rochdale on safety grounds was seen as “insensitive”. It points out that, “The Trust Chief Executive has apologised for the handling of this but the damage has been done”.
The report describes what it describes as “a kind of bunker mentality and an inward looking focus”. And that this agenda in terms of service reconfiguration “has accentuated hard-edged, driven styles of behaviour” and calls for a more “externally focussed style”.

The report concludes with 14 action points to help improve its application to become a Foundation Trust. Many of these relate to ensuring funding and improving income where possible from elective surgery. It also calls for closer working with commissioners to develop a clinical service strategy as well as putting in place a robust Human Resources strategy for handling “the major challenges ahead with robust workforce planning and acuity measures to assess the impact of staff reductions”.