Inspection report praises Raigmore Hospital staff for Covid response
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Staff at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness have been praised for their response to the Covid-19 pandemic in a Healthcare Improvement Scotland report.
An unannounced inspection was held last month and a number of areas of good practice were identified, including safeguarding of patients and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Inspectors also identified the need for some improvements.
Staff reported that they felt supported and informed throughout the pandemic as NHS Highland adapted systems and processes to ensure patients were cared for in a safe and secure environment.
Pam Dudek, NHS Highland’s chief executive, said: “We are pleased with the latest Healthcare Improvement Scotland report which highlights that Raigmore has adapted to meet the challenges of the pandemic.
“Our colleagues working across all areas of the hospital had to change how they work to ensure that the environment is safe and secure for our patients and I want to thank them for all of their continued efforts.
“It is encouraging that our staff feel that they are supported by their line managers and colleagues during what has been an exceptionally challenging period for everyone.
“We are only able to achieve the best standards of care for our patients when we pull together and it is heartening that our colleagues have been able to do so in such testing times.”
The report found four areas of good practice including that systems were in place to ensure patients were assessed prior to admission to minimise risk of Covid-19 and strong infection control practices.
Inspectors also made three requirements where they were concerned about the impact on patients. The health board must ensure that all wards are maintained or refurbished to allow effective decontamination and ensure a robust audit process to ensure the environment is being well managed.
In addition, NHS Highland must ensure that PPE is worn appropriately by all staff groups in line with the national guidance and that physical distancing between patients can be achieved in the multi-bedded bay areas.
Mrs Dudek added: “There are a lot of positive things to reflect on in this report and we are committed to ensuring that we maintain and improve our standards. There are also requirements within the report that we must address and we are developing an action plan to ensure these are met.”
