Enhanced monitoring requirements lifted at King's Lynn hospital

Monitoring requirements at Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital have been lifted in the same week the hospital is said to have made "substantial improvements" in services.

Dr Frankie Swords, medical director at QEH said: “This is further independent recognition of the progress that the Trust is making on its improvement journey and is testament to the leadership and hard work of all of our staff.”

The enhanced monitoring requirements included three conditions imposed in April 2019 by Health Education East of England (HEE) and the General Medical Council (GMC).

These were all lifted in December 2020, but the trust has remained in enhanced monitoring, to ensure that the doctors in training and other healthcare students are given the correct levels of support to ensure they are trained to the appropriate standards.

This week, the GMC has confirmed that following a recommendation from HEE, all the enhanced monitoring requirements on obstetrics and gynaecology, acute medicine and emergency medicine have been lifted.

Caroline Shaw CBE, chief executive officer at QEH said: “This is wonderful news for all of our staff, trainees, students and patients and we will work hard to make sure that these improvements are sustained and built upon for the long term.”

The news comes in the same week as the hospital regulator, the Care Quality Commission, confirmed that QEH has made substantial improvements in its services, with all of its core services now rated ‘Good’ for caring.