Mansfield mental health hospital staff did not follow code of practice

A Mansfield hospital has been rated inadequate and placed into special measures.
St Andrews Healthcare Nottinghamshire.St Andrews Healthcare Nottinghamshire.
St Andrews Healthcare Nottinghamshire.

St Andrew’s Healthcare Nottinghamshire, Sherwood Avenue, Mansfield, is an independent hospital for men detained under the Mental Health Act.

However, following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission health watchdog, it has been placed into special measures.

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Dr Paul Lelliott, CQC deputy chief inspector of hospitals, said: “Inspectors highlighted a number of serious issues.

“These included that people were not protected from the risks of harm.

“Staff did not always adhere to the Mental Health Act Code of Practice when using seclusion. There were gaps in seclusion reviews, staff did not end seclusion at the earliest opportunity or complete observations correctly.

“Staff did not always respect people’s dignity and privacy or respond promptly to their needs. This included requests to go to the toilet, to use the shower, for food, medicines and for blankets. This resulted in distress and embarrassment for patients.

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Staff used inappropriate and disrespectful language in a patient’s record.

“While some patients said that staff were friendly and approachable, others told us that staff ignored them, took a punitive approach and spoke to them in a disrespectful way.

“These findings are troubling.

“We have told St Andrew’s Healthcare that they must take immediate action to address the problems that our inspectors identified.

“We will continue to monitor the service, this will include further inspections.”

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When the hospital was inspected in June 2015, it was rated as good overall.

A hospital spokesman said: “We deeply regret that in a number of instances the care provided to patients at Mansfield fell below our expected standards.

“As soon as the CQC raised concerns we acted decisively, closing the hospital to new admissions.

“We are now undertaking a clinical review and strengthening operational oversight under new management.

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“The CQC’s main concerns relate to the care and monitoring of those in seclusion – a measure we very much consider to be a last resort.

“We regret that in a small number of cases, care of those in seclusion fell short of the high standards we strive for.

“The CQC also noted some specific issues around safety, privacy and respect. However, any instance where we have let patients down is one too many and unacceptable.

“While we were pleased that the CQC praised the involvement of patients in the care planning and rated Mansfield as ‘Good’ with regards to responsiveness to patients’ needs.”