The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have placed Arbour Lodge Independent Hospital into special measures after a Care Quality Commission inspection resulted in it receiving an overall rating of Inadequate following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission in April 2016.
Inspectors rated the service as Inadequate for being safe, effective and well-led, Requires Improvement for being responsive to people’s needs and Good for being caring. The overall rating of Inadequate means that the hospital will be placed into special measures.
A full report of this inspection has been published on the CQC website today: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-251651255
Nicholas Smith, Head of Hospital Inspection for CQC’s north region said:
“Arbour Lodge Independent Hospital is responsible for some of the most vulnerable people in Stockport and the way in which it currently operates is failing to meet the fundamental aspects of good care that people have the right to expect - high quality and safe caring. However, there were some positive aspects, staff are kind and caring and such kindness is a vital aspect of good quality care.
“The failure to have systems in place to monitor and review the quality of the service exposed people to unacceptable risks. Overall we rated the service as inadequate as we found that the hospital was failing people in a number of key areas and exposed people to unacceptable risks.
“It is vital that Arbour Lodge Independent Hospital takes action to address the concerns we identified at this inspection. The provider has a responsibility to ensure that people are safe and protected from the risk of harm.
“We are placing the service into special measures. Where necessary we could return to inspect within six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to take further enforcement action which could lead to vary the provider’s registration to remove this location or cancel the provider’s registration.“
Key findings from inspectors included:
- The hospital was not safely staffed. The level of staffing was not sufficient to ensure that observations were undertaken safely and that there were enough staff to care for patients safely.
- Inspectors witnessed unsafe moving and handling practice during this inspection which put patients at risk of harm.
- There was unsafe medicines management practice. Medicines were being given which were not legally authorised or safely monitored. Medicine stocks did not tally, medicine administration boxes were unsigned and administration times had been altered by hand. Qualified nurses did not ensure the medicines keys were safely managed.
- Patients’ care and treatment did not reflect current evidence based guidance, standards and practice. Staff were not sufficiently skilled or knowledgeable regarding good practice guidance to deliver effective care. There was little monitoring of outcomes of care and treatment. Plans for patients transition or discharge were largely absent.
- There was unsafe medicines management practice. Medicines were being given which were not legally authorised or safely monitored. Medicine stocks did not tally, medicine administration boxes were unsigned and administration times had been altered by hand. Qualified nurses did not ensure the medicines keys were safely managed.
- At the time of the inspection CQC had concerns that two patients were being deprived of their liberty without authorisations for this and without this having been recognised by the service.
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