CQC: Community mental health services in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire 'Require improvement'

The heath trust that runs community mental health services in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire has been told they need to make improvements following an inspection by the CQC.

Inspectors visited the community adults mental health locality teams for working age adults based in Peterborough North and South, Huntingdon and Cambridge North and South, as well as an early intervention psychosis service run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

The inspection was prompted by information of concern CQC received including lack of action to respond to concerns raised by staff, ongoing risks and low staffing levels.

At the inspection, inspectors found that some teams were using expired medical supplies and dressings, while others lacked access to panic alarms.

The CQC called on trust leaders to make improvements ‘on a more systemic level.’

Following this inspection, the service’s overall rating has dropped from good to requires improvement, as have the ratings for being safe and well-led. It has been re-rated as outstanding again for being caring and re-rated as good for being effective and responsive.

“We found staff who were exceptionally caring and compassionate"

Stuart Dunn, CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, said: “When we inspected the trust's community-based mental health services for adults of working age, we found staff who were exceptionally caring and compassionate. However, trust leaders need to make improvements on a more systemic level, to ensure services are consistently safe and well-managed.

“We found a lack of meeting space in the offices and poorly maintained premises and equipment. This affected appointment availability in some areas. Some teams were using expired medical supplies and dressings, while others lacked access to panic alarms. Staff reported incidents within their teams, but the trust systems didn’t ensure that learning from incidents across the organisation was shared effectively.

"However, we found many positive examples staff putting people at the heart of their own care and treating them with kindness and respect. People told us staff helped them feel safe and they felt involved in decisions about their treatment. We saw good evidence of staff making adjustments to meet individual needs, including providing home visits, translation services and sensory equipment support.

“We’ve shared our findings with the trust so they know where improvements are needed, and we’ll continue to monitor them closely, including through future inspections, to ensure people are safe whilst this happens.”

Inspectors also found:

Managers had not ensured all staff were up to date with mandatory training, supervision or appraisals.

Many people using the service lacked complete or accessible care plans.

Some staff reported feeling unsupported by senior leadership and disconnected from organisational decision-making.

However:

Staff knew how to protect people from abuse and completed thorough risk assessments. Risk assessments had been documented and were up to date.

Multi-disciplinary teams worked well together, regularly meeting to discuss complex cases and ensure a joined-up approach to care for people.

People were supported with regular physical health checks.

The report will be published on CQC’s website in the next few days.

The Peterborough Telegraph has contacted the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust for comment