CQC publishes report following inspection of urgent and emergency care and medical services
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published the findings of its inspection of urgent and emergency care services and medical services, including older people's care, at The QEH, which took place in April 2026.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published the findings of its inspection of urgent and emergency care services and medical services, including older people’s care, at The QEH, which took place in April 2026.
Both services have been rated Requires Improvement overall. The report identifies concerns relating to patient safety, medicines management, patient monitoring, governance, staffing, training compliance and organisational oversight. The CQC has also issued warning notices relating to safe care and treatment.
Patients and their loved ones should be able to trust that they will receive safe, high-quality care every time they come to The QEH. This report identifies areas where standards fell short of those expectations, and we are sorry for that.
The findings are serious and we fully accept them. Since the inspection, work has continued to strengthen patient safety, governance, oversight, medicines management, performance monitoring and accountability arrangements across the organisation.
While the report identifies significant areas where we must improve, it also recognises the compassion and professionalism of our staff. Patients consistently told inspectors they were treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and urgent and emergency care retained a Good rating for caring.
Jo Segasby, providing leadership support to The QEH as Group Deputy Chief Executive and Group Chief Delivery Officer for the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, said:
“This report contains serious findings and we fully accept them, including the warning notices issued by the Care Quality Commission.”
“Reading this report, I know many patients, families and staff will feel disappointed. I do too. There are areas where we should have been doing better, and we fully accept that.”
“What is particularly disappointing is that the report identifies areas where improvements have not happened quickly enough or where we have not had sufficient assurance that changes were being embedded and sustained. Patients, staff and our communities rightly expect us not just to identify concerns, but to make sure improvements are making a real difference.”
“Alongside the significant improvement programme already under way at The QEH, our focus now is on strengthening oversight, accountability and assurance so that we can identify concerns earlier, act more quickly and sustain improvements over time.”
“The report also recognises something that should not be overlooked. Patients consistently described our staff as kind, caring and compassionate, and the caring domain in urgent and emergency care remained rated Good.”
“Our staff are committed to delivering high-quality care every day. My responsibility, and that of the senior leadership team at The QEH, is to ensure they are supported by robust systems, strong governance and effective oversight. Where those arrangements have not been strong enough, it is our responsibility to put that right.”
“We understand why this report may affect confidence in our services. Our focus now is on addressing the concerns identified by the CQC and delivering the improvements that our patients and communities rightly expect.”