IMPROVEMENTS are needed in acute wards for adults and psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) in Coventry and Warwickshire, say inspectors.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated the wards as ‘requires improvement’ following an inspection in April and May.
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust runs the service at the Caludon Centre in Coventry and St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick.
During a visit to the Caludon Centre, inspectors found new breaches of regulation in both safe care and treatment and good management.
CQC has again rated how safe and well-led the service is as ‘requires improvement’, and how effective, caring and responsive it is as ‘good’.
The CQC found that the Trust had addressed similar breaches found at an earlier inspection.
Ceri Morris-Williams, CQC deputy director of operations in the midlands, said: “We were concerned to find new breaches of the same regulations. Leaders need to make sustained improvements to ensure the service consistently provides safe care and treatment and has good management.
“We found some leaders didn’t have the skills, knowledge and experience required to carry out their roles and responsibilities. This lack of leadership caused most of the issues we found, which included how leaders managed risks and oversaw the environment, medicines management, and infection prevention and control.
“Staff didn’t always record how people were involved in managing risks they faced in their care plans. In some cases, they didn’t assess the risks people faced at all, and hadn’t completed full risk assessments and risk management plans for each person on the ward.
“Our inspectors also found the trust weren’t always delivering care in a safe environment. We identified concerns with infection prevention and control processes and safety checks. Leaders had put renovation plans in place and, following a lengthy contractual dispute, had started this work with completion expected within two years.
“However, people told us staff treated them with kindness and compassion and provided a wide range of activities they could take part in, including sports, cookery, arts and crafts, walking groups and watching films. Staff supported people to keep in touch with family and friends and provided information on the advocacy support available to them.
“We have told the trust where it needs to make improvements in specific areas and we found it encouraging to see them begin this work at the end of our inspection. Leaders need to build on these plans to make sure people receive care that meets their needs and also to make sure these are sustained.”
Inspectors praised the service for listening to concerns about safety, investigating incidents thoroughly, developing staff, monitoring and responding to safeguarding alerts, and providing treatments based on best practice and national guidance.
A Trust spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the findings from the CQC’s recent inspection at the Caludon Centre in Coventry and fully accept that further improvements are needed.
“We’re pleased that the CQC recognised the kindness and compassion of our staff and rated our services as Good for being caring, effective and responsive.
“Since the inspection, we’ve strengthened leadership, improved safety oversight and continued investment in our environments.
“We’re committed to delivering the required improvements swiftly and ensuring that every patient receives safe, high-quality and compassionate care.”
The reports will be published at www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RYG in the coming days.
