Whipps Cross University Hospital has made significant strides in addressing concerns raised in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, according to an update presented at the Waltham Forest Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee meeting on Wednesday, 3 December 2025.
The CQC had previously rated the Urgent and Emergency Department as 'requires improvement' in July 2024, citing breaches in several regulations, including dignity and respect, safe care and treatment, nutritional and hydration needs, and staffing.
However, by May 2025, the hospital had implemented a series of improvements, leading the CQC to determine that the department was no longer in breach of regulations. These improvements include:
- A new temporary escalation space with privacy measures for up to 17 spaces.
- An additional ward with up to 16 spaces.
- Reconfiguration of the emergency assessment area with appropriate privacy measures.
- A new trial to ensure patients are quickly seen by clinicians and then moved on to the appropriate area of the department, according to the Whipps Cross Hospital (Barts Health NHS Trust) update CQC report findings.
- Implementation of new safety policies and guidelines.
- Extra training and monitoring standards for infection control.
- Additional patient rounds to ensure appropriate nutrition and hydration.
- Additional staffing.
While the Urgent and Emergency Department has shown considerable progress, a short-notice inspection of Diagnostic Imaging in July 2025 resulted in a 'Requires Improvement' rating. The CQC rated Diagnostic Imaging as 'Requires Improvement' due to breaches in:
- Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment
- Regulation 15: Premises and equipment
- Regulation 17: Good governance
In response, the hospital has updated procedures and processes to ensure appropriate audits are completed and is reviewing patient posters to ensure they are available in different languages. Further action is planned, with the hospital scheduled to submit a full action plan to the CQC in November.
Systematic changes to clinical pathways are also underway, including the use of Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) areas and new pathways to ensure appropriate patients can be seen by the Urgent Treatment Centre. The hospital is working with system partners to improve patient flow and external pathway management.
Estates work is also planned, with a reconfiguration of the Emergency Department scheduled for completion by April 2026. The reconfiguration works commenced in May of this year and includes:
- A new Paediatric Emergency Department and Paediatric Clinical Decision Unit.
- A new Emergency Medicine Same Day Emergency Care (EDSDEC) area.
- A new and purpose built Resus and Emergency Assessment area.
- A new Initial Assessment Area.
This reconfiguration also allows the movement of clinical functions to the appropriate space, for example, the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) will be located at the front of the Emergency Department. The finalisation of this work is time lined to be completed by April 2026. This will further improve the patient pathways, flow and experience, according to the Whipps Cross Hospital (Barts Health NHS Trust) update CQC report findings.
