The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a report following an inspection of the emergency department at Russells Hall Hospital, part of The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, in April.
An unannounced focused inspection was carried out at the trust’s emergency department following concerns raised regarding how the service dealt with people who presented with a mental health condition.
No ratings were given due to the focused nature of the inspection, therefore the overall rating for Russells Hall Hospital, and the emergency department, remains requires improvement.
Charlotte Rudge, CQC deputy director of operations in the midlands, said:
“When we inspected the emergency department, we found that staff and leaders were working well together to ensure people experiencing mental ill-health were kept safe and free from harm.
“The service managed safety incidents well, learned lessons from them and it was good to see that managers debriefed and fully supported staff after any serious incidents.
“It was positive that the lead nurse for mental health had produced a new mental health training package for emergency department staff that focused on triage, as well as understanding and managing behaviours of people at risk of self-harm and suicide.
“All staff and managers we spoke with showed commitment to improving the service and were receptive to our feedback.
“We will continue to monitor the trust, including through future inspections, to ensure people using the department continue to receive safe and appropriate care.”
Inspectors found the following during this inspection:
- The design, maintenance and use of facilities, premises and equipment generally kept people safe
- Staff assessed risks to people using the service, acted on them and kept accurate care records
- Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals generally worked together as a team to benefit people using the service
- Leaders had a vision for what they wanted to achieve and a strategy to turn it into action
- Staff followed national guidance to gain people’s consent.
However:
- The service did not always follow the trust’s own policy for observing people using the service that required close observation
- Information about serious incidents, and subsequent learning, was not always shared with partner services.