09.02.18
Mental health trust sees CQC rating slump after service deterioration
Bradford District NHS FT has seen its CQC rating slump from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ after an inspection identified a deterioration in the quality of patient care on offer.
In October and November 2017 inspectors visited the mental health trust to check nine of its core services.
Inspectors reported a deterioration in the quality of patient care and found a number of improvements were needed. For example, the trust’s senior leadership team did not have effective oversight of staff training or supervision, and the trust had not made sure checks for all staff had been carried out through the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Jenny Wilkes, CQC’s head of inspection for mental health in the north, added: “Services were not consistently managing risks, risk assessments were not always completed or reviewed and sickness, vacancy and turnover rates were high.
“Meanwhile, we found safeguarding concerns were not consistently recognised or reported to external agencies and staff had a mixed understanding of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.”
Regarding whether the trust provides care that is safe, effective and well led, the ratings moved from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement.’ The rating for whether services are caring and responsive, however, has remained as ‘good,’ with Wilkes noting staff were “kind, compassionate, respectful and supportive to patients.”
The trust must now ensure effective governance systems are in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of its services.
Checks for director level staff must be in line with the Fit and Proper Person Requirement regulation, with a completed policy for all executive and non-executive directors and accurate records.
The trust is also required to ensure that all staff are checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service, and that serious incidents are reviewed and thoroughly investigated within appropriate timescales.
Nicola Lees, chief executive of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The report rightly recognises outstanding practice and innovation in all areas, including safety huddles on our wards, a new anxiety care pathway in our specialist dental services, innovative care pathways in community services, and a strong focus on caring for the physical and mental health needs of people across all areas.
“It also recognises that our staff are ‘caring and responsive’, and ensure that individuals are’ involved in decisions about their care’.”
She added: “The CQC also identified areas where we need to do more and many of these have already been addressed, and in some instances were actioned immediately.
“Additional scrutiny on required training by the trust’s quality and safety and mental health legislation committees will strengthen oversight in this area, and a central database will provide greater awareness on all levels of supervision across the trust.
“We have already made a significant investment to introduce a new clinical records system for our mental health services that will be running from May and this will also ensure greater consistency across patient records.”
The CQC will return to the trust for a further inspection to check on progress with the areas that have been highlighted for improvement.
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