CQC demands Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust take further action to improve services

15 March 2011

Trust is failing to meet one essential standard.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust that it must improve to comply with essential standards of quality and safety. CQC has demanded action and says if improvement is not made the next step could be enforcement action.

During registration in April 2010 the trust declared that it was in breach of the standard relating to keeping people who use services safe from abuse or the risk of abuse (outcome 7). It advised that it would be compliant by the end September 2010. 

The report, which identifies a major concern in relation to the standard, says:

• The trust was unable to demonstrate that national and local guidance for safeguarding patients was being put into practice by staff by the time that the trust stated it would be compliant.
• Summary reports of two incidents reported to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) made no reference to safeguarding concerns. 
• Reports did not outline how key learning had impacted upon staff actions and trust policies.
• Suitable forms of control and restraint required to protect people using services were not always being used.

CQC East Regional Director Frances Carey said: “The trust informed us that it would be compliant with the standard by the end of September 2010. The review of information undertaken in October and November 2010 led us to conclude that this was not the case.

“The trust has provided us with its action plan and has advised that significant progress has already been achieved since we first provided feedback on this judgement.

“We will check to make sure that the actions outlined by the trust result in compliance with the standard. We will consider taking enforcement action if our subsequent check reveals that the trust remains non-compliant, in order to ensure that people are protected from abuse, or the risk of abuse, and their human rights are respected and upheld.”

Ends

For further information please contact Nicola Stewart on 0121 600 5344 or phone the out of hours mobile on 07917 232 143.

Notes to editors

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the Care Quality Commission has a number of enforcement powers that enable it to act swiftly when services are failing people. These include issuing warning notices, restricting the services that a provider can offer or the way it is provided; or, in the most serious cases, suspending or cancelling a service. CQC can also issue financial penalty notices and cautions or prosecute the provider for failing to meet essential standards.