Tunbridge Wells Hospital has been given two warnings

by Nick Lillitos

The emergency department at a recently opened Kent hospital has been branded overstretched, understaffed and failing patients.

The Care Quality Commission has issued two warning notices on the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury after an unannounced inspection.

Inspectors made a surprise visit at the beginning of the year and labelled the trust in breach of two government standards.

One was not delivering safe and appropriate care that met patients' needs. The other was not ensuring A&E was adequately staffed.

It comes as a blow for health bosses, who promised the new £512million hospital would replace crumbling buildings in Pembury and Tunbridge Wells.

The CQC said patients were waiting far too long for attention in A&E and said both the minor and major injury units were understaffed.

Inspectors saw three ambulance crews waiting in a corridor, unable to transfer patients due to a lack of beds in the major injury unit.

Staff said they often struggled on busy days and were too spread out.

Ian Biggs, deputy director of the CQC in the south said: "This warning sends a clear message that the issues at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury need to be addressed as a matter of priority."

"some of our systems were not as robust as they are now…” – hospital spokesman

He added that the CQC will make another unannounced inspection and if things had not improved could use more of its enforcement powers, which in the most serious case could include cancelling services.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said it made "immediate changes" to improve patient care following the report.

It said it has also increased the number of doctors and nurses working in A&E since September 2011.

A spokesman said: "Some of our systems were not as robust as they are now, however, and we apologise to any of our patients who previously waited longer than absolutely necessary to complete all of their care.

"We are continually improving the care we provide to A&E patients, and patients who come to the new hospital can expect a high quality, safe and reliable service."