Staff-to-patient ratio very high at the Walton Centre says Director

The Medical Director of The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust has criticised a report listing the Trust as one of 17 in the country to have inadequate staffing.

Dr Peter Enevoldson pointed out that The Walton Centre has a very high staff to patient ratio and a negative rating from the Care Quality Commission based on a snapshot observation is “incorrect and unfair”. 

Dr Enevoldson said: “When the CQC awarded us a ‘minor compliance concern’ (which they define as one where the issue is not significant and can be managed or resolved quickly) we wrote to them to tell them that their comments were not justified.

“Our ratio of medical and nursing staff to patients is very high and is reviewed on a regular basis. In particular, we have a very high consultant-to-inpatient ratio.

“Nationally there has been a reduction in the numbers of junior doctor training posts in all hospitals; however, we have maintained numbers by employing other junior doctors and after lobbying regionally, we have succeeded in increasing our junior doctor training numbers.

“We have also appointed a junior doctor support officer to help with organising medical tasks; and we have increased the number of nurse specialist posts to help the junior doctors.

“Patient safety is our most important concern and we are proud of the excellent care that we provide to patients, with a better staff to patient ratio than most other NHS trusts in the country.”

Statement from Caroline Kenyon, Head of Communications and Marketing at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

The editorial unit

Read the CQC article here.