Source · CQC inspection
Doncaster Royal Infirmary
Provider Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Type NHS Healthcare Organisation
Region Yorkshire & Humberside
Last inspected 15 May 2026
Overall rating: Requires Improvement View full CQC report
Domain ratings
Safe
Requires Improvement
Effective
Requires Improvement
Caring
Good
Responsive
Requires Improvement
Well-led
Requires Improvement
Current CQC assessment
Requires Improvement
The service is not performing as well as it should and we have told the service how it must improve.
Ratings by service
Urgent and emergency services
Requires Improvement
Regulatory breaches & enforcement
Letter of intent
Overall
Following inspection, we issued a Section 31 letter of intent due to significant concerns regarding patient safety.
Breaches identified (2)
Breach
Safe
We found new breaches of regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance.
Breach
Safe
We found breaches of legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, premises and equipment, staffing and governance.
Earlier inspection findings
Must-do actions (51)
Must-do action 1 of 51
Must do
Well-led
The trust must ensure staff feels supported to speak up by seeking and acting on feedback from relevant persons or other persons on the service provided in the carrying on of the regulated activity, for the purpose of continually evaluating and improving such services. The Trust Board must have effective oversight of all Freedom to Speak Up actions.
Must-do action 2 of 51
Must do
Well-led
The trust must ensure there are effective systems and processes to identify where quality and safety are being compromised and to respond appropriately and without delay. It must ensure it improves its clinical audit processes and systems. It must continue to improve governance processes in particular the senior oversight of risk, quality of data and the management of risk.
Must-do action 3 of 51
Must do
Effective
The trust must ensure staff receive appropriate support, training, and appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the role they are employed to perform.
Must-do action 4 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure staff follow infection control principles such as hand hygiene and bare below the elbows.
Must-do action 5 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure clinical areas are kept clean, cleaning records are up-to-date and staff clean equipment after patient contact, and label equipment to show when it was last cleaned.
Must-do action 6 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure it meets the requirements of relevant legislation and trust policy so that equipment is properly, used, maintained, and stored.
Must-do action 7 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure the service’s medical and nursing staff match the planned numbers. They must also ensure the service has enough medical staff with appropriate skill mix on each shift.
Must-do action 8 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure staff follow the proper and safe management of medicines, and the service uses systems and processes to prescribe and administer medicines safely.
Must-do action 9 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure it maintains securely an accurate, complete, and contemporaneous record in respect of each service user, including a record of the care and treatment provided to the service user and of decisions taken in relation to the care and treatment provided. This should include allergy status and the issuing of a warning wristband when allergies have been disclosed, and complete recording of patient fluid and nutrition charts.
Must-do action 10 of 51
Must do
Well-led
The trust must ensure the service has effective systems and processes to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided in carrying on of the regulated activity. Where risks are identified the trust must have measures to reduce and remove the risks within a timescale that reflect the level of risk and the impact on people using the service.
Must-do action 11 of 51
Must do
Effective
The trust must implement effective systems and processes to ensure all nursing and medical staff are compliant with mandatory training, including but not limited to, safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, to a level appropriate for their role.
Must-do action 12 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure it has enough nursing, medical and support staff with the right qualifications, skills, training, and experience to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.
Must-do action 13 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure the proper and safe management of medicines.
Must-do action 14 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure substances hazardous to health are always stored securely, in accordance with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and trust policy.
Must-do action 15 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure there is an effective process in place for ensuring equipment is in date and safety checked.
Must-do action 16 of 51
Must do
Effective
The trust must ensure it improves appraisal rates in line with trust targets.
Must-do action 17 of 51
Must do
Well-led
The trust must ensure there are effective systems and processes to identify where quality and safety are being compromised and to respond appropriately and without delay.
Must-do action 18 of 51
Must do
Effective
The trust must ensure that all staff particularly medical staff complete mandatory training in line with trust policy.
Must-do action 19 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that all staff particularly medical staff complete safeguarding training relevant to their role.
Must-do action 20 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that staff adhere to uniform and Infection, Prevention, and Control policies in relation to bare below the elbows.
Must-do action 21 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure it meets the requirements of relevant legislation and trust policy so that equipment is properly, used, maintained, and stored.
Must-do action 22 of 51
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure premises and environment are safe and secure. This includes but is not limited to ensuring storeroom doors are not left open or unlocked and COSHH cleaning chemicals and oxygen cylinders are safely stored.
Must-do action 23 of 51
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure that appropriate malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) risk assessments are completed and recorded for patients who required support.
Must-do action 24 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that all staff understand the trusts incident reporting system and that incidents are reported consistently and appropriately.
Must-do action 25 of 51
Must do
Well-led
The trust must ensure risks in services are appropriately recorded, assessed, and regularly reviewed.
Must-do action 26 of 51
Must do
Well-led
The service must implement an effective system to monitor and improve compliance with medical appraisals and revalidation.
Must-do action 27 of 51
Must do
Safe
The service must implement an effective process to manage, monitor and record the ambient temperature of rooms which store fluids and medication.
Must-do action 28 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that persons providing care or treatment to service users have the qualifications, competence, skills, and experience to do so safely.
Must-do action 29 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that community staff are suitably trained for home birth emergencies.
Must-do action 30 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that staff receive practical training sessions in the use of hoists and written guidance on hoist use in clinical areas.
Must-do action 31 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that the storage of control of substances hazardous to health (COSSH) products is secure.
Must-do action 32 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure the proper and safe management of medicines.
Must-do action 33 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure ambient room temperatures are monitored and recorded in all room’s medicines are stored.
Must-do action 34 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that daily checks of emergency boxes for hypoglycaemia, cord prolapse, sepsis and pre-eclampsia take place as policy.
Must-do action 35 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that the missing emergency medicine from each box is replaced.
Must-do action 36 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that sharps bins are dated and signed on opening.
Must-do action 37 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that oxygen is prescribed by a specialist practitioner after a clinical review and documented on the prescription chart.
Must-do action 38 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that oxygen and Entonox cylinders are stored securely.
Must-do action 39 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that tamper proof seals and medicines lists are present in all the separate boxes used for specific conditions.
Must-do action 40 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that medicines are stored in secure environments and that all entry/exit and cupboard doors are locked.
Must-do action 41 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must assess, monitor, and mitigate the risks relating to the health, safety and welfare of service users and others who may be at risk which arise from the carrying on of the regulated activity.
Must-do action 42 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure they have enough staff with the right qualifications, skills, training, and experience to keep women safe from avoidable harm and to provide the right care and treatment.
Must-do action 43 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that patients are prioritised based on risk or condition when being seen in the maternity day assessment unit so that patients who present with the highest risks are seen first.
Must-do action 44 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that there is out of hours senior support in place for community midwives and community staff are suitably trained for home birth emergencies.
Must-do action 45 of 51
Must do
Effective
The trust must ensure all nursing staff complete mandatory and safeguarding training modules relevant to their role as per trust policy to meet target. This must include training in the Mental Capacity Act or Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
Must-do action 46 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure staff keep all daily cleaning records and (fire and defibrillator) safety checks up to date.
Must-do action 47 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that staff adhere to Infection, Prevention, and Control policies in relation to cleanliness.
Must-do action 48 of 51
Must do
Safe
The service must ensure premises and environment are safe and secure. This includes COSHH cleaning chemicals being safely stored.
Must-do action 49 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that all staff know the emergency procedures that are in place for patients who may deteriorate.
Must-do action 50 of 51
Must do
Safe
The trust must ensure that there is a resuscitation trolley available to staff in case of emergency.
Must-do action 51 of 51
Must do
Effective
The trust must ensure that all clinical guidance is current.
Should-do actions (44)
Should-do action 1 of 44
Should do
Responsive
The trust should ensure it continues to operate effective systems to respond to complaints and take appropriate action without delay to any failures identified by a complaint or the investigation of a complaint.
Should-do action 2 of 44
Should do
Effective
The trust should ensure it continues to roll out the Oliver McGowan statutory learning disability and autism training or equivalent.
Should-do action 3 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should ensure it continues to improve diversity and equality at Board level.
Should-do action 4 of 44
Should do
Responsive
The trust should ensure it continues to complete the work needed to meet the requirements for the Accessible Information Standards.
Should-do action 5 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should consider a review of the timescales for Disclosure and Barring (DBS) re-checks for executive and non-executive directors to be undertaken sooner than every 10 years.
Should-do action 6 of 44
Should do
Caring
The trust should ensure staff always maintain patient’s privacy, dignity, and confidentiality particularly in public areas.
Should-do action 7 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should ensure it has effective processes to engage with staff particularly medical staff actively and openly.
Should-do action 8 of 44
Should do
Effective
The trust should consider a standard operating procedure (SOP) for patients on the ambulatory pathway with clear guidance to follow.
Should-do action 9 of 44
Should do
Effective
The trust should ensure staff fully and accurately complete patients’ fluid balance charts.
Should-do action 10 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure it always keep records secure.
Should-do action 11 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should consider ways to improve the provision of ward meetings to share learning from incidents.
Should-do action 12 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should have an effective process to review performance and manage risks at each hospital site.
Should-do action 13 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that medicine audits are completed within timescales in line with trust policy.
Should-do action 14 of 44
Should do
Effective
The trust should ensure that capacity assessments and best interest decisions are followed and recorded in line with legislation.
Should-do action 15 of 44
Should do
Responsive
The trust should continue to ensure that complaints are responded to in line with timescales set out in the trust policy.
Should-do action 16 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that refrigerator checks are consistently undertaken in line with trust policy.
Should-do action 17 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that legionella action plans for the antenatal clinic are in place and updated so any actions identified are responded to quickly.
Should-do action 18 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that legionella testing records confirm actions taken should legionella be present.
Should-do action 19 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that all equipment is serviced within its next serviced date.
Should-do action 20 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that all resuscitation checklists include the name of the location and type of equipment named.
Should-do action 21 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should ensure senior midwives and managers are visible on the clinical areas.
Should-do action 22 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should ensure that all staff groups are aware of the freedom to speak up guardians and who they are across the trust sites.
Should-do action 23 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure a standard operating procedure is available for staff to refer to when fentanyl is drawn up by staff.
Should-do action 24 of 44
Should do
Effective
The trust should continue to ensure all staff complete mandatory training in line with trust policy.
Should-do action 25 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should continue to ensure that all staff complete safeguarding training relevant to their role.
Should-do action 26 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should ensure that all policies are reviewed within the review period set out in the policy.
Should-do action 27 of 44
Should do
Caring
The trust should consider storing the resuscitaire which is currently stored in the bereavement room in another cupboard outside of this room.
Should-do action 28 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure the birthing pool evacuation nets are serviced in line with manufacturer’s instructions.
Should-do action 29 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that clear guidance is in place to ensure pigeons do not enter birthing rooms.
Should-do action 30 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that I am clean stickers are dated.
Should-do action 31 of 44
Should do
Effective
The trust should ensure written revalidation guidance is in place for staff to follow.
Should-do action 32 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure a standard operating procedure is developed for the management of Fentanyl use as bolus doses.
Should-do action 33 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure staff report incidents following their occurrence.
Should-do action 34 of 44
Should do
Caring
The trust should ensure that confidentiality is maintained when conversing with women and their families.
Should-do action 35 of 44
Should do
Well-led
The trust should ensure that senior midwives and managers are visible on the clinical areas.
Should-do action 36 of 44
Should do
Effective
The trust should ensure that K2 technology is updated with national updates as soon as they are released.
Should-do action 37 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure the MIU ambulance/resuscitation room is protected from flood risk and does not prevent patients who need emergency care from accessing treatment on site.
Should-do action 38 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure the rear door magnetic locks are installed promptly to ensure safety of people who use the service and staff.
Should-do action 39 of 44
Should do
Responsive
The trust should ensure UTC signage inside and outside the building is correct and up to date.
Should-do action 40 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure all equipment is safety tested in line with guidance.
Should-do action 41 of 44
Should do
Caring
The trust should ensure there is water available to patients in the waiting areas.
Should-do action 42 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure there is hand gel available prior to entering the department at Retford Hospital.
Should-do action 43 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure that chaperone trained staff are available for patients who require a chaperone.
Should-do action 44 of 44
Should do
Safe
The trust should ensure there are clear and available cleaning records in place.