A South London hospital has been told to improve after a shortage of nurses meant elderly patients were forced to pass urine and defecate in pads.

Two wards at Orpington Hospital’s medical care were given a “requires improvement” rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in a report published on Friday (September 9).

The trust which runs the hospital said it has taken  “immediate action” following the “disappointing” report.

Inspectors visited two wards for older people at the hospital in July after it received information standards of care could have declined since it was rated ‘Good’ in 2015. 

This was a targeted inspection of just two wards so the hospital’s overall good rating remains the same.

The report said: “Staff on Churchill and Elizabeth Wards reported that they did not always have enough nursing and support staff to keep patients safe.

"As a result, patients did not always get care in a timely manner, with examples of nursing staff not responding in good time to requests for toileting.

"This had resulted in patients passing urine or defecating in pads they had been provided with.”

Inspectors spoke to staff who said they were often moved off the ward to fill shifts.

The report said most staff said understaffing was a “big issue” in the department.

Nicola Wise, CQC head of hospital inspection, said: “A shortage of nurses and support staff undermined the quality of care people using medical care at Orpington Hospital received.

"The pressure staff shortages caused meant care and treatment was not always delivered in a responsive manner that reflected patient preference.

"This also led to instances where patients were not treated with dignity and respect.

“While staff shortages are affecting health and social care across the country, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust must find ways to mitigate the impact this challenge poses for people using medical care at Orpington Hospital.

"This includes capturing and using insight from staff and incident reporting systems to drive improvement.”

Ms Wise said despite the shortcomings, examples of good practice were seen. This included staff being trained in key skills and safety.

Inspectors also found that inspection risks were well managed and patients were treated with kindness while their families were provided emotional support.

The hospital is run by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

It has launched a review into medication safety.

Professor Nicola Ranger, chief nurse at the trust, said: “I am very disappointed that the standard of care on these two wards fell below the high standards we set ourselves. Our patients deserved better.

“We took immediate action following the CQC’s inspection in July.

"Staff on the two wards are no longer asked to work on other sites, so ensuring they can provide the responsive, patient-centred care they want to deliver.

“We also initiated an immediate review of medication safety, and we have worked with staff to ensure they are providing the essential needs of our patients at all times, with refresher training also offered.

"Staff have responded very positively to these changes.”

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