CQC prosecutes Yorkshire-based mental health hospital operator

9 March 2010

The operator of the Yorkshire-based mental health hospital, Linden House, has been ordered to pay £17,015 in fines and costs relating to breaches of the Care Standards Act 2000.

At Beverley Magistrates’ Court on 2 March, Linden House operator, Care Principles Limited, pleaded guilty to five charges relating to the administration of medication.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) brought the case against Care Principles, which manages the low to medium-secure hospital in Market Weighton near York.

The charges relate to evidence CQC collected at the hospital during unannounced visits in September 2008.

Despite on-going issues largely being rectified since they were found, the company was prosecuted over its failure to provide the minimum legal standards of care.

CQC senior enforcement manager, Tim Weller, said:

"We are encouraged that the standards of care for patients at Linden House have improved since legal proceedings against the operator started, although it is disappointing that legal action was required before standards were addressed.

"We hope the quality of care for these vulnerable patients continues to improve and will be scrutinising the services at this hospital for the further improvements we expect to see."

CQC had previously found minimum standards were not being met at the hospital in relation to issues including staffing levels, observational levels and suicide/self harm audits were not being completed. The regulator notes improvements have been made in these areas following a regular inspection programme.

Linden House provides services for patients with a learning disability and for patients detained under the Mental Health Act.

Ends

For more information please call Sarah Robertson on 020 7448 9210 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.

Notes to editors

• Guilty pleas were entered by the defendant in respect of five charges relating to the administration of medication. These included offences related to:
• A patient was administered medication without the clinician having written up the rationale for prescribing that medication
• A failure to maintain appropriate stock checks, disposal of medication which had expired, or record the destruction or disposal of medications
• A failure to maintain adequate arrangements for the storage of medicines required to be refrigerated. Temperatures exceeded those prescribed by drug manufacturers, the company failed to react appropriately to recordings of temperatures outside the safe range, in some cases simply re-setting the thermometer, and without taking measures to ensure that drugs maintained at incorrect temperatures remained effective to administer
• Staff training concerning the storage of safe medication was not completed for all staff with delegated responsibility.