An inspection by the Care Quality Commission has shown that urgent action at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is required to improve children and young people’s services at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
The CQC conducted an inspection on 24th February, following concerns about the quality and safety of the assessment and treatment of children and young people who presented to the service with acute mental health needs or learning disabilities.
SaTH are now subject to urgent conditions, including that the trust must not admit any new patients under the age of 18 who present solely with acute mental health needs.
The conditions require the trust to report to CQC on a weekly basis detailing the action it is taking to ensure the safety of patients using the service.
Following the inspection, the trust was told to make several urgent improvements, including:
– All staff caring for children and young people must complete level three children’s safeguarding training.
– Restraint must only be used when necessary after all other de-escalation methods have been undertaken. When restraint is needed it should be undertaken by staff that have completed nationally recognised training.
– The rights of children and young people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 must be protected and staff must understand their responsibilities when caring for children and young people detained under the Act.
– Robust safeguarding systems and processes must be in place in line with national and local standards and procedures.
– 16 and 17-year olds must be provided with the choice of receiving their care and treatment on children’s and young people’s wards where appropriate.
South Shropshire MP, Philip Dunne, has expressed his concern over the findings.
Mr Dunne said: “This latest intervention from the CQC is very alarming, with the SaTH being downgraded from Requires Improvement to Inadequate in its rating for children and young people’s services. This is all the more troubling knowing the profound impact the pandemic and lockdown have had on many young people’s mental health.
“It is vital the Trust’s management get a grip of this situation, using its improvement alliance with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust for the advice and expertise needed to improve performance drastically as quickly as possible.”
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