24.01.18
‘More work is needed’ to continue improvement at Leicestershire trust
A focused CQC investigation into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) at a trust in Leicestershire has shown some improvement but not enough to upgrade its overall rating.
Leicestershire Partnership NHS FT has been rated as ‘requires improvement’ since 2015, despite further inspections in February 2017.
While there were no overall changes, investigators removed all ‘inadequate’ ratings, meaning services are all now rated as ‘requires improvement’ or higher.
Dr Peter Miller, chief executive of the trust, said he was pleased to see the organisation was “moving in the right direction” and thanked staff for their efforts.
“We are pleased to see overall ratings go up to ‘good’ in our community health services for adults,” he added.
“I particularly welcome the fact that the inspectors have recognised improvements in our specialist community mental health services for children and young people, and the strengthened monitoring of waiting lists, as they have improved the previous ‘inadequate’ rating for their safety and responsiveness. We continue to work through our improvement plans.”
Particular credit was given to community mental health services for children and young people, which have seen their rating moved from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’ following the inspection.
Investigators also found that the trust had addressed specific issues regarding the health-based place of safety which had been brought up in a previous investigation.
However, the CQC did criticise the environment in some services, which was poor and not well maintained or kept clean.
The acute mental health wards had broken facilities which had not been repaired in a timely manner and we found dirt in two areas on one ward. Staffing levels did not always meet requirement in some community teams.
Following the announcement, deputy chief inspector for hospitals, Paul Lelliott, commented: “We found a number of improvements had been made with regard to the services we inspected at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.
“This was particularly evident in specialist community mental health services for children and young people which was rated as Inadequate following our previous inspection in November 2016.”
The targeted inspection took place between October and November last year.
Top image: Mouse-ear
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.