ENGLAND'S Chief Inspector of Hospitals is inviting members of the public to tell his inspection panel what they think of the services provided by St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Their views and experiences will help inspectors decide what to look at when they inspect St Helens Hospital and Whiston Hospital in August 2015.

The Trust will be inspected and given an overall rating under a new method of inspection introduced by the Care Quality Commission.

The formal inspection of the Trust will start on August 18, 2015.

The Chief Inspector, Professor Sir Mike Richards, has said that he will lead significantly larger inspection teams than before, headed up by clinical and other experts including trained members of the public.

To ensure the views of patients and the local community are heard, the inspectors will be holding listening events on the following dates:

  • 2pm Tuesday, 11 August. The Hall, The Old School House, St. John Road, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 OUX.
  • 6pm Tuesday, 11 August. The Main Hall, St Helens Town Hall, Victoria Square, Corporation Street, St Helens. WA10 1HP

People are being encouraged to attend a listening event to find out more about the inspection process, to tell the team about their experiences of care and to say where they would like to see improvements made in the future.

Sir Mike said: "The new inspections are designed to provide people with a clear picture of the quality of the services in their local hospital, exposing poor or mediocre care as well as highlighting the many hospitals providing good and excellent care.

"We know there is too much variation in quality – these new in-depth inspections will allow us to get a much more detailed picture of care in hospitals than ever before.

"Of course we will be talking to doctors and nurses, hospital managers and patients in the hospital. But it is vital that we also hear the views of the people who have had care at any of the hospitals run by the trust, or anyone else who wants to share information with us.

"This will help us plan our inspection, and so help us focus on the things that really matter to people who depend on this service.

“This is your opportunity to tell me and my team what you think, and make a difference to NHS services in the local area.”

Sir Mike's inspection team is expected to look in detail at key service areas: A&E; medical care; surgery; intensive and critical care; maternity; paediatrics/children’s care; end of life care; and outpatients.

A full report of the inspectors’ findings will be published by the Care Quality Commission later in the year.

The Trust will be one of the first to be given one of the following ratings: Outstanding, Good, Requiring improvement, or Inadequate.

Those who cannot attend are being asked to share their experience by:

Visiting: http://www.cqc.org.uk/syesthelensandknowsley
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
By letter: CQC, Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4PA
By phone: 03000 61 61 61