Mental health crisis service needs improvement

Shariqua Ahmed
BBC News, Peterborough
PA A man wearing a blue-checked shirt with his face buried in his handsPA
The inspection was prompted by concerns to the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

A care commission report has found "improvements are needed" to mental health crisis services.

Following an inspection of the service run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) in August last year, the overall rating declined from good to requiring improvement.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection came after concerns were raised about a "lack of action" responding to staff concerns, ongoing risks and low staffing levels.

Steve Grange, chief executive at CPFT, said "work continues to strengthen our processes to address and resolve concerns when they are raised".

Staff lacked panic alarms

CQC inspectors visited the service, which is spread across the 136 Suite and Crisis and Resolution Home Treatment Teams in Fulbourn Hospital in Cambridge; the Cavell Centre in Peterborough, and the First Response Service based in Huntingdon.

The service's overall rating dropped from good to requires improvement as did its ratings for being safe and well-led.

It has been rated as good again for being caring, effective and responsive.

Inspectors found lone-working arrangements were "inconsistent" and some staff "lacked access to panic alarms or check-in apps", requiring them to call the office in case of emergencies.

Staff felt disconnected from the trust's senior leadership team, the report said.

It also concluded the trust had measures in place to ensure leaders and managers had the necessary qualifications, skills, training, and competencies for their roles.

Stuart Dunn, CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, said: "Although we found compassionate and committed staff providing responsive care, leaders need to address systemic challenges to ensure services are consistently safe and well-managed."

Despite challenges staff put people at the "centre of their care".

'Fully committed'

More work was needed to address risks caused by staff shortages and high sickness rates which put "significant pressure" on teams and forced managers to rely on temporary staff.

Mr Grange said: "Work continues to strengthen our processes to address and resolve concerns when they are raised and to ensure we have robust systems in place to share learning across the trust.

"While the demand on our services, the complexity of patients, and the resources available remains challenging for our teams, we continue to actively recruit and support our colleagues and we are fully committed to delivering the best care for our patients, service users, and their families."

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