The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Health trust rated good despite safety concerns from inspectors
Plans underway to tackle criticisms
Community health services in Cambridgeshire have been told to improve safety - despite being rated as good overall in a new report. The criticism has been aimed at the Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, which has been told that improvements are needed to some services to make them safe.
The report by the heath regulator the Care Quality Commission states: “In one hospital (in Wisbech) there was a small mortuary. There were poor standards of cleanliness and infection control in the mortuary.”
It adds that inspectors also found occasions where medi- cines were not given on in-patient wards and that this was not properly managed.
“We have asked the provider to send us a report that tells us what actions they are taking to meet this essential standard.”
Inspectors also voiced concerns at the extent of staff shortages in the community and district nursing teams.
The trust provides a range of health services for young and old across the region and controls the City Care Centre in Thorpe Road, Peterborough.
Matthew Winn, trsut chief executive, said: “We’re delighted with the findings of the Care Quality Commission.”
Mandy Renton, chief nurse at the trust, said: “A clear picture of safety was evidenced across most services and care and treatment provided was found to be effectively meeting the needs of patients, families and carers.
“Two pre- existing CQC compliance issues, assessing and monitoring the quality of services at HQ and staffing levels on our children’s in-patient ward on the Hinchingbrooke Hospital site were both assessed as compliant.
“Children’s services, community services for adults, end of life care, dentistry and minor injury units were all judged to be good as was the trust’s performance in providing caring, effective, responsive and well-led services.
She added: “There are three areas where the CQC has identified actions that require improvement.
“Action plans are already underway (or complete) to address these.
The mortuary on the North Cambridgeshire Hospital site in Wisbech has now been closed by the CCS.
There were also concerns about case loads for staff and doubts raised about the effectiveness of systems to monitor and prevent medicines omissions in its four inpatient rehabilitation wards across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The trust said ‘a comprehensive action plan’ was being implemented across all in-patient wards.