Sylvia Knight and Boston's Pilgrim Hospital

About 100 student nurses have been removed from Boston's Pilgrim Hospital after the Nursing and Midwifery Council expressed "serious concerns" about it.

Sylvia Knight, director of nursing and patient services at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (which runs the hospital), said

We are seeking further clarification from the NMC regarding the reason for their actions.

If she truly, really doesn't know, maybe should read the local Boston paper, which quotes Prof Patrick Callaghan, Director of Research in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy:

Yesterday I took an urgent call from the Nursing and Midwifery Council requesting the urgent withdrawal of students on the basis of serious concerns which had been raised by the Care Quality Commission.

Our primary concern is for the quality of the students’ learning and welfare and concerns were raised so that is why we took the action we have to safeguard the quality of learning.

That seems clear enough. If Sylvia Knight doesn't get that, just maybe she's not the right person to sort out the hospital's problems.

Indeed, it's not going well. The CQC had ordered the trust to make improvements after an inspection in February. However, in June it voiced dissatisfaction with the progress the trust had made, and was dissatisfied with its ability to identify and address problems.

The CQC is also working with the police and local authority over “several” safeguarding investigations currently under way, relating to allegations of abuse and neglect at the trust.

You simply shouldn't train nurses in an unsatisfactory hospital. So what's the mystery?

I suppose the problem for Sylvia Knight is that it brings her failing back into sharp, public focus. For the CQC report was pretty damning. In summary

We found that Pilgrim Hospital was not meeting one or more essential standards. We have taken enforcement action against the provider to protect the safety and welfare of people who use this service.

And last month the CQC reported that

Following an inspection in February, CQC ordered the trust to make improvements. However, the Commission was not satisfied with the speed with which the trust responded, or with the trust’s ability to proactively identify and address problems.

In addition, there are currently several safeguarding investigations in progress relating to abuse and neglect allegations at the trust. CQC is working closely with the police and local authority with regard to these.

As a result of all of these issues CQC is now investigating what systems and procedures are in place at the trust to ensure people are protected against the risk of inappropriate or unsafe care and treatment.

Certainly not the sort of environment for training our future nurses in.

So is Sylvia Knight trying to muddy the waters to hide the continuing incompetence? Or is she just too stupid to get it?