A West London hospital operating in rundown buildings has been told it still needs to improve by the health watchdog but it has made clear progress since the last inspection.
Services at hospitals operated by Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) between July 2024 and February 2025, and included urgent and emergency care, and surgery services at Hillingdon Hospital.
Also inspected was Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood which was given an overall rating of ‘Good’ – an upgrade from its previous rating of ‘Requires Improvement’. Hillingdon Hospital, which was described by the Health Secretary as “one of the worst I’ve ever seen” in terms of the condition of its buildings, has improved its overall rating from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Requires Improvement’.
The Uxbridge hospital will be one of the first to benefit from £1.5 billion of government investment to build a new hospital in the next few years as part of the revised New Hospitals Programme.
What the CQC found at Hillingdon Hospital
The hospital surgery was rated ‘Good’ against the effective, caring, and responsive metrics, however on safety and leadership it still ‘Requires Improvement’. Among the findings, inspectors discovered that infection prevention protocols “were not consistently adhered to”.
Additionally, medicines are “not managed well”, with ongoing risks such as “frequent drug administration errors, missed medications, and incorrect documentation”. Inspectors also flagged that not all information was provided in accessible formats, particularly for those who can’t speak English.
However, staff actively engaged with local health and social care partners which enhanced service delivery. Staff are well trained specific to their roles and demonstrate an understanding of how to protect people from abuse.
In the urgent and emergency services department, staff told inspectors that they often struggle with pressures associated with staffing. They said the department was “very busy and did not have the required number of staff used for winter pressures”.
Some also told inspectors that due to staff shortages, education and training was not always available to upskill their knowledge. The layout of the emergency department also creates risk in monitoring, however staff treated people with kindness, dignity, and took account of individual needs.
Antoinette Smith, CQC Deputy Director of Operations in London, said staff have clearly worked hard to improve the patient experience. However, she added: “There are still serious safety concerns in Hillingdon’s emergency department. People attending with mental health needs were waiting far too long for assessment, and we saw repeated issues with medicines administration and storage.
“As a result, we issued a warning notice to the trust requiring urgent improvements. The trust has since taken steps to address these concerns.”
Lesley Watts, Chief Executive of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said work has already begun to address concerns raised in the report.
Mount Vernon Hospital findings
Mount Vernon Hospital’s surgery, and urgent and emergency services scored ‘Good’ in every category, with none requiring improvement. At the surgery, staff “worked effectively to prevent, identify, and manage surgical site infections” whilst utilising systems that monitored infection risks.
Inspectors found that innovation and personalised care were “central to the service’s strengths” with people-centred initiatives leading to positive outcomes. The surgery is a “well maintained environment” with surgical facilities found to be in “good condition”.
In urgent and emergency services, inspectors found that patients are seen and treated promptly with a clear triage in place. Incidents and complaints were found to be appropriately investigated and reported with staff also managing medicines safely. The inspectors reviewed all medicines and found they were in date and stored safely.
The staff also met people’s communication needs to enable them to engage in their care and treatment allowing patients to maximise their experience and outcomes. This included the ability to arrange translation services for those who require it.
The CQC’s Antoinette Smith said there was a “clear culture of improvement”. She added: “At Mount Vernon Hospital, we saw staff working together with compassion and professionalism to deliver safe and responsive care. People were treated with dignity and respect.”
Lesley Watts, Chief Executive of The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am proud to announce that the latest Care Quality Commission report has recognised significant improvements at our trust, with enhanced ratings across all key areas and at both our hospitals.
“We know there is still work to do and we acknowledge the CQC’s observations, which we have already begun to address. I am confident that through collaboration with our patients, our partners and our stakeholders, and with the ongoing efforts of our dedicated staff, we will continue to move forward and build a brighter future for healthcare in Hillingdon.”
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