The Care Quality Commission has told The Huntercombe Group that it must sustain the significant improvements made at Meadow Lodge, an independent hospital for children and adolescents in Devon.
CQC inspectors conducted an unannounced inspection at the hospital in Chudleigh, Newton Abbott in November 2018 to follow up areas of concern
Following the November inspection, CQC issued Meadow Lodge with a Warning Notice requiring the following immediate improvements
- Young people must receive hospital treatment for injuries promptly.
- There must be a policy in place to manage medical emergencies.
- Staff must complete physical and neurological observations when clinically indicated and record the observations to a satisfactory standard.
- Staff must update assessments and care plans to reflect increases in a young person’s risk.
- Agency staff, including qualified nurses leading shifts, must receive an induction to the hospital.
- Staff must follow their obligations to act in an open and transparent manner, as required by the duty of candour.
At the time of the inspection, the Huntercombe Group provided CQC with assurances that appropriate action had been taken and an agency which had supplied temporary staff was no longer being used.
CQC followed this up with another focussed inspection on 18 December 2018 to check on improvements. While inspectors found there had been some improvements, they wanted to be assured that all improvements required by the Warning Notice were thoroughly embedded.
The initial inspection in November followed allegations that agency staff had put patients at risk by falling asleep on duty. Inspectors found that staff were not always ensuring that young people received prompt medical assessments or treatment when needed. Agency staff, including registered nurses in charge of shifts, were not receiving an induction to the hospital. Staff were not updating care plans or following their obligations to act in an open and transparent manner
During the follow-up inspection in December inspectors found a number of improvements.
Staff had received information telling them when to access prompt medical treatment for young people. Staff were recording physical and neurological observations, and updating care plans and risk assessments. The manager had started providing agency staff with inductions to the hospital and had circulated information about staff responsibilities under the duty of candour.
Dr Paul Lelliott, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector for Hospitals (and lead for mental health) said:
“Our initial inspection of Meadow Lodge identified some deep-seated issues that were a matter of some concern. In response, the Huntercombe Group has made some rapid and significant improvements, including the arrangements to provide prompt medical treatment for young people when needed.
“While the provider has acted quickly to make improvements, we want to be sure these improvements are embedded and sustained before we are satisfied that the Waning Notice has been met.
“We will return in due course to check that the managers’ actions have led to lasting improvements that will benefit the patients and their families. In the meantime, we are reassured that the service remains under enhanced surveillance by a number of agencies, led by NHS England.”
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