The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust that it must make improvements to its acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units following an inspection in December.
Inspectors visited Fellside, Lamesley and Lowry wards in the Hadrian Clinic based at the Campus for Ageing and Vitality in Newcastle upon Tyne. This was in response to receiving information of concern about the safety and quality of the service.
The Hadrian Clinic is for people over 18 years of age with a mental illness who require assessment and treatment in hospital.
As this was a focused inspection, the service was not rated at this inspection, therefore it remains rated as good overall. It also remains rated as good for being effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Safe remains rated as requires improvement.
The overall rating for Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, who runs this service remains rated as outstanding.
Sarah Dronsfield, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said:
“Following our inspection at the Hadrian Centre, we found a service that wasn’t fit for purpose, ward areas were small rooms and there was limited outside space and communal areas for people to use.
“None of the bedrooms on any of the wards had bathroom facilities and there were only two communal toilets on each of the wards. The décor was dated, and wards were noisy. When we looked at the Lowry ward, the ground floor was dirty with cigarette butts and paper cups lying around. Nobody should have to access health and social care services in this state.
“We highlighted our concerns to senior leaders who were already aware of the issues. They have now reviewed the hospital site and sent us a copy of an action plan which informs us of interim measures being put in place until the three wards we inspected relocate to the Bamburgh Clinic at St Nicholas Hospital, in spring 2024.
“We will work closely with the trust to ensure improvements have been made so people are living in a more comfortable environment that meets their needs, until the new building is completed next year, as everyone using Hadrian Clinic deserves a high standard of care.”
Findings from the inspection, included:
- The service was using bank and agency staff to cover increased staffing levels
- Staff were not receiving training to help manage people’s needs and keep them safe
- The unit was located on an old hospital site where there were several derelict buildings.
However:
- The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them
- Leaders understood the issues on the unit and were putting interim measures in place to support people and staff until the wards could be relocated
- Most staff felt respected, supported and valued, focussing on the needs of people receiving care.