Agenda item

To consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on recent Care Quality Commission inspection reports relating to the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

(report attached)

Further to minute 96 of the Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) meeting held on 18^th April 2012 where the Board considered a report following the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) compliance report issued to the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in respect of Ward 53 at the Leeds General Infirmary, the Board considered a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development relating to recent inspections at facilities managed by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.  Appended to the report were:

• The CQC review of compliance report (December 2011) – the Newsam Centre (Ward 3)
• The CQC review of compliance report (April 2012) – St Mary’s Hospital
• The CQC review of compliance report (October 2011) – St Mary’s Hospital
• Associated responses from Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT)

Attending for this item to provide further information and respond to the

Board’s queries and comments were:

• Rod Hamilton (Compliance Manager) – Care Quality Commission;
• Chris Butler (Chief Executive) – Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust;
• Michele Moran (Deputy Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse) – Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust;
• Lynn Parkinson (Deputy Director of Care Services) – Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

As the quality regulator across health and social care service providers, the CQC’s Compliance Manager provided the Board with an overview of the CQC’s work and priorities.  The Board was advised of the CQCs contribution to nationally identified thematic reviews identified periodically and the recent areas of non-compliance that had been identified at St. Mary’s Hospital and the Newsam Centre.

The Scrutiny Board was further advised by the Compliance Manager that  Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust had responded quickly and positively to the findings of the CQC and drawn up associated action plans in order to address the issues highlighted.  The Board was assured that the action plans had been acted upon and improvements at both locations were evident.

The Chief Executive of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust confirmed to the Board that a range of measures had been put in place by the Trust to both address the findings of the CQC and as part of the Trust’s internal processes and improvement work.  The Scrutiny Board was advised that the Trust had: 

• adopted CQC methodologies internally and were now carrying out unannounced inspections on their services.  This formed part of an improved and more extensive audit processes to help provide multiple sources of information around the quality of services provided by the Trust;
• processes in place to report service quality issues to its Board of Governors;
• improved record keeping and reminded staff of the need to evidence the good care being given;
• increased investment in safeguarding with an additional safeguarding co-ordinator being recruited;
• increased training (and monitoring of training) on safeguarding, to ensure all staff had undertaken the latest training programme;
• provided training and clinical supervision around drawing up care plans, emphasising the need for these to be patient-centred and not written in technical language;
• increased the level and types of feedback on the service and care being provided
• developed a ‘Welcome pack’ for patients and carers.

The key areas of discussion were:

• The seriousness of the issues identified by the CQC and the scale of the issues across the Trust.
• The importance of safeguarding and the relationship with the Leeds Adult Safeguarding Board.  Based on comments in the CQC report that patient concerns had not been taken seriously and that there had been a three week delay in passing on a safeguarding concern, this included a discussion on how legitimate criticisms from patients were dealt with. 
• The important role of CQC compliance inspections, along with the use of a range of information and sources of information to help provide an overview of the Trust and the services provided.

• That poor documentation could be indicative of other, more serious issues, with an organisation
• The level of involvement between the Trust and patients and carers
• The provision of tobacco to patients and the mixed messages this can give when trying to promote better health – and balancing this with the rights of individuals to make lifestyle choices.

The Board welcomed the assurance provided by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust about the improvements made following the recent inspections by the CQC.  While a formal a report following the recent re-inspection of the Newsam Centre was awaited, the Scrutiny Board noted that improvements had been made by the Trust.

RESOLVED -  To note the report and the comments now made

During consideration of this matter, Councillor Hussain left the meeting