HOSPITAL watchdogs have given Whiston Hospital the thumbs up for care – but told bosses to speed up their handling of complaints.

Care Quality Commission inspectors talked with service users, carers and family members and staff and reviewed information provided by community groups and determined the hospital provided “care and treatment planned and delivered in a way intended to ensure people’s safety and welfare”.

A CQC report said patients and relatives told them they were very happy with the care and treatment they had received.

The report stated: “Areas found to be high risk were promptly acted upon. One patient deemed at being at high risk of a pressure sore promptly received a pressure relieving mattress. Patients’ health care records also demonstrated the involvement of other health professionals.”

However after tracking four patients through A&E minor recording issues were discovered, including out of three instances where a patient had gone into A&E in an ambulance only one had a complete sheet with information from the ambulance service.

There was also a minor criticism of the complaints system in place across the St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, including the Whiston Hospital site.

“We found clear information was available about how to make a complaint. However complaints were not always responded to within the trust’s timescales outlined in the complaints policy,” the inspectors reported.

A Trust spokesman said: “The Trust passed all areas of the recent CQC inspection, with only a minor action required to further improve the timeliness in responding to complaints. A significant improvement has now been made and this will continued to be monitored.”