The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Croydon Health Services NHS Trust that it must improve the quality of care provided to patients in mental health crisis in its urgent and emergency services at Croydon University Hospital, following an inspection in October.
The unannounced, focused inspection of the urgent and emergency care services at the hospital took place after concerns were raised regarding the safety and quality of care provided to patients with mental health problems. Following the inspection, CQC took enforcement action and imposed conditions against the trust registration.
Those conditions are that Croydon Health Services NHS Trust must, with immediate effect, commission an external review of the quality and safety of care of mental health patients at Croydon University Hospital, taking relevant national clinical guidelines into account.
It must then provide CQC with a report setting out the outcomes of the review, and fortnightly updates outlining what action it is taking to ensure the emergency department mental health plan is effectively implemented.
CQC’s Head of Hospital Inspection for London, Nicola Wise, said:
“During the inspection of Croydon University Hospital, it was disappointing to find a lack of clear documentation of treatment plans and patient records. This meant we were unable to determine whether safe care was being provided to patients with mental health problems.
“We were not assured that documentation was in place for staff to recognise or respond appropriately to signs of deteriorating health or medical emergencies in patients with mental health problems. Additionally, we found that care and treatment did not always reflect current best practice for the care of patients with mental health problems.
“Following the inspection, we imposed conditions upon the registration of the trust. This will help direct the trust’s efforts to drive through the improvements needed. We will continue to monitor the trust’s performance in this area and will take further action if necessary.”
In summary, CQC inspectors found:
- Patients were at risk of not receiving effective care or treatment as the trust did not have a mental health strategy to support the delivery of safe, high-quality, person-centred care for patients with mental health problems
- This also meant that there was an increased risk that people attending the emergency department (ED) could be harmed
- Patient record keeping was not compliant with the trust policy or Royal College of Emergency Medicine guidance, leading to inconsistent documentary evidence regarding the effectiveness of the care, treatment and support that people received The hospital was previously inspected in October 2019 when its overall rating was Requires Improvement. The overall rating for the provider following this inspection has not changed.
Full details of the inspection are given in the report published online at: www.cqc.org.uk/location/RJ611
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