Healthcare Improvement Scotland has today (13/03) published a report on their unannounced follow-up inspection of a number of wards at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy from 03-05 December 2024.
The unannounced inspection was part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Acute Hospital Safe Delivery of Care inspection programme. The visit was intended to monitor progress made from earlier unannounced inspections which took place in July and August 2023.
The report states that the inspectors were assured that progress has been made with all requirements from the earlier inspections, with matters related to maintenance of the healthcare environment being met or partially met. The inspectors noted an open and supportive culture amongst staff, with senior hospital managers sufficiently visible and demonstrating good oversight of both clinical and wider system pressures.
Despite the visit taking place during winter when the hospital was under considerable pressure, it was noted that the areas inspected were calm and well led with hospital teams working together to provide compassionate care. It was also observed that hospital-wide safety huddles, as well as smaller directorate focused huddles followed a structured format, were open and transparent, and promoted a culture of psychological safety where staff felt able to raise any concerns.
Inspectors also noted that patients and relatives were complimentary, both of their care and of the staff providing it.
The report a noted a number of areas of good practice and identified other areas where action is required. These included improvements to the availability of alcohol-based hand sanitiser, the safe storage of cleaning products and better showering facilities in the two wards within the older part of the hospital. Work is underway to address these issues quickly, with some of these actions already completed.
Commenting on the report, NHS Fife’s Director of Nursing, Janette Keenan, said: “The unannounced inspection of the Victoria Hospital by Healthcare Improvement Scotland was incredibly thorough, visiting 19 wards and departments over the course of three days.
“We are pleased that the report recognises the considerable progress made to improve wards in the older part of the hospital, with significant refurbishments being carried out since the previous visits. We are also happy that inspectors observed an open and supportive culture amongst staff at all levels working in the hospital, which we work hard to foster, and is vital in enabling us to provide good quality, holistic healthcare.
“The latest unannounced inspection took place in December when, as the report notes, our hospital was under considerable pressure due to the rise in the numbers of those seriously unwell patients requiring inpatient care, and the impact of winter illnesses on staff availability. It is testament to the hard work and diligence of hospital staff that patients and relatives were so complimentary of the care being provided, even in such difficult and challenging circumstances.
“As is common with inspections of this type, areas were identified where there is scope for improvement. Work is already well-underway to address these areas as quickly as possible.”
The inspection report is available in full on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland website, at:
Victoria Hospital – safe delivery of care inspection: March 2025 – Healthcare Improvement Scotland
