A MERSEYSIDE hospital hit back at claims it is one of 17 identified as “dangerously understaffed” by a health watchdog.
Liverpool’s Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust was among those accused by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of failing to have enough staff to “keep people safe”.
But the medical director of the Walton Centre, Dr Peter Enevoldson, criticised the report, saying a negative rating from the CQC based on a snapshot observation “is incorrect and unfair”.
According to weekend reports, the list was obtained by the Labour Party, who accused the Government of imposing “toxic” spending cuts on the NHS.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt had responded to the CQC inspections saying there was “no excuse” for inadequate staffing levels and calling for swift action to be taken.
It follows inspections from the CQC at the hospitals, although it is understood not every ward had been visited by inspectors. The 17 hospitals identified were among a total of 26 “health providers” which the CQC found to have inadequate levels of staff.
Dr Enevoldson insisted the Walton Centre had a very high staff to patient ratio and a negative rating from the Care Quality Commission based on a snapshot observation was incorrect and unfair.
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