An eating disorders ward at a south London hospital has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission - following concerns received about the service.
Tyson West 2 Ward at The Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham, part of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, was inspected in February 2018. The 18 bed, women only, ward is part of a national service so it accepts patients from many parts of the country as well as locally.
Although CQC did not give this ward a rating, inspectors found:
Gaps and errors in the physical health monitoring of patients, which might prevent appropriate escalation to see a doctor when needed. Not all patients had a completed care plan, or were offered a copy of it.
There were a number of concerns regarding care records for patients. Staff did not record all known risks affecting patients in their risk assessments so that all staff were aware of actions to take to protect patients from potentially avoidable harm.
Patients told us that they did not have the opportunity to meet with their primary nurse at least weekly. There had been a high turnover of staff on the ward, which impacted on the staff team and patient care, and involved high levels of bank or agency staff working on the ward. While patients spoke positively about permanent ward staff, they had concerns about some bank staff providing cover on the ward, and inconsistencies in the support provided by them.
CQC found that many new bank or agency staff had not completed the dining room induction, created with patient involvement to ensure that patients had consistent support at meal times. Systems for booking bank or agency staff did not ensure that appropriately experienced staff were selected.
Patients were not always provided with sufficient information about the ward on admission. Some patients complained about insufficient activities available to them at weekends, when the occupational therapy building was closed.
However, there were examples of good practice on the ward. The service offered therapies in line with national guidance and provided dietitian, social work, psychology, and occupational therapy support.
Patients gave positive feedback about permanent staff and inspectors saw that staff were supportive and kind when interacting with patients. Inspectors observed staff supporting patients well during a meal time. Records showed patients were involved in decisions about their care. Relatives and carers were offered support and skills training.
The number of nurses on each shift during the day and night was sufficient, and there was adequate medical cover.
Dr Paul Lelliott, Deputy Chief Inspector (and lead for mental health) said:
“We visited Tyson West 2 Ward at The Bethlem Royal Hospital, following complaints from a group of patients. While we did find areas where the trust needs to improve the quality of care on this ward, we also found areas where good care was being provided and patients praised permanent members of staff.”
You can read the inspection report in full on our website.
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