Birmingham mental health hospital is failing to meet the essential standards of care

22 September 2011

Woodbourne Priory told it must improve.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told a Birmingham mental health hospital that it must improve or face enforcement action.

Woodbourne Priory in Woodbourne Road, Edgbaston provides inpatient care for adults and young people with mental health needs and problems with substance misuse.

CQC carried out an unannounced inspection at the hospital’s Mulberry Unit on 8 August following concerns raised by the Mental Health Act Commissioner and West Midlands Specialised Commissioning.

CQC inspectors then identified major concerns with the following two essential standards of quality and safety.

• The care and welfare of people.
• Safeguarding people using the service from abuse.

Andrea Gordon, CQC Regional Director for the West Midlands and East Midlands, said: “During our unannounced inspection at the start of August, we identified unacceptable failings at the Mulberry Unit and demanded that Priory Healthcare Limited make improvements.

“Patients at this unit are vulnerable young people with complex needs - the CQC is working closely with our partner agencies, including West Midlands Specialised Commissioning, to ensure that the safety and welfare of these people is protected.

"Since our inspection in August, we have made two further visits to inspect the care provided by Woodbourne Priory as a whole.

"We have received an action plan from Priory Healthcare Limited detailing the improvements they intend to make at the Mulberry Unit and we will be making further unannounced visits to the hospital to check on their progress with this.

"If we are not confident that this provider has demonstrated rapid and sustainable improvement, we will consider enforcement action. The kind of action CQC can take includes prosecution, closure or restriction of services."

During the visit to the Mulberry Unit, inspectors found care plans and risk assessments for people did not contain sufficient information for staff to fully understand the needs of those in their care or provide effective care and treatment.

In those cases where people were given medication as and when this was required (as opposed to drugs given at regular times) there was no clear guidance to ensure staff knew when this should be administered.

There were no appropriate guidelines on the use of restraint and in some cases staff did not know how to manage the behaviours of people in their care to ensure the safety or wellbeing of all patients.

Staff also told inspectors they had not received training in relation to care planning and others said they had not been given safeguarding or mental capacity training.

As a result of the serious concerns raised by CQC, the provider has voluntarily decided not to admit any further patients detained under the Mental Health Act until standards have improved.

The findings of the wider inspection, which took place at the end of August, will be published shortly. This will include CQC’s assessment of information including training records supplied by the provider.

In the meantime, CQC is constantly monitoring this service and will be meeting with the provider to check on progress in relation to the improvements that are needed.

Ends

For further information please contact Louise Grifferty, Regional Communications Manager, on 07717 422917 or the CQC press office on 020 7448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.

Notes to editors