The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has, today, published a report on a Northamptonshire mental health service that is in special measures.
CQC undertook an unannounced inspection at Broomhill, Spratton, in February. The 99-bed independent hospital, run by St Matthew’s Limited, cares for working-aged people experiencing chronic mental illness.
The inspection was prompted by safeguarding alerts regarding abuse.
It found risks to patient safety, dignity and wellbeing were not always well managed on long-stay rehabilitation wards and acute wards providing psychiatric intensive care.
The service had not embedded measures to protect patients from abuse. A patient had been assaulted by a member of staff twice, however action was impeded as a safeguarding referral was not made after the first incident.
Inspectors also found that when rapid tranquilisation was used, to calm patients when they presented risk to themselves and others, it was not always followed-up with adequate physical health observations.
Factors behind these failings include a lack of oversight from leaders and a failure to ensure timely reviews following patient safety incidents.
Although shifts were not understaffed, the service was reliant on agency workers who did not know patients or always have the right training. Concerns were also raised that staff used languages other than English in front of patients.
However, wards were clean and suitable, and steps were taken to protect people from COVID-19. Staff also supported patients to give feedback on their treatment.
CQC’s Inadequate rating of Broomhill, issued following a comprehensive inspection last year, still applies following the latest inspection. The hospital also remains in special measures.
Services in special measures are subject to close monitoring to help them improve the care they offer and ensure patient safety. If insufficient progress is made, CQC uses its enforcement powers further to protect patients from the risk of harm and hold services’ leaders to account.
Following the inspection, CQC told St Matthew’s Limited that it must make several improvements at Broomhill, including:
- Treating patients with compassion and kindness, and always using English in front of them
- Undertaking physical health checks following rapid tranquillisation
- Ensuring it has enough staff who know the patients and have the right training
- Managing medicines correctly
- Keeping patient records up-to-date and accessible
- Protecting patients from verbal, physical and psychological abuse
- Reporting safeguarding incidents quickly
- Ensuring adequate governance and oversight to identify non-compliance in all aspects of care and treatment.
Full details of the inspection are given in the report published here.
Ends
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