A Wiltshire health provider has been ordered to improve by CQC inspectors.
In a damning watchdog report, it was revealed patients at Wiltshire Health and Care face excessive waiting times and inpatient risks are not identified or monitored. Although staff have been praised for their care, they were also found to be extremely overworked.
Wiltshire Health and Care LLP, established in 2016, has been rated Requires Improvement following an inspection.
The partnership comprises three local NHS trusts, working across 17 sites in Chippenham, Warminster, Trowbridge and Savernake to provide physical and mental health services, including urgent care.
But not all services are in line with the standards expected.
The CQC report reads: “We rated them as Requires Improvement because patients were waiting for extended periods of time when they sought attention using call bells. Inpatients risks were not identified, assessed, monitored, and reviewed to reduce or remove them.
“The provider did not have the structures and systems in place to support good oversight of their service delivery and inpatients records were not always accurate or complete.
A spokesman for Wiltshire Health and Care LLP has pointed out that despite being rated Requires Improvement overall, the NHS service has also been evaluated in three individual areas: health services for adults, inpatient services, and urgent care services.
"Many of the categories assessed across these service areas were rated as Good. Encouragingly there were fewer individual areas rated as Requires Improvement," the spokesperson said.
But the report suggests that lack of attentiveness could be due to staffing issues, as inspectors also found that: “We saw rotas which demonstrated some staff members were working 15-hour shifts on multiple days in a row. Several staff were working in excess of 60 hours per week on a regular basis.”
“These staff members were regularly supporting people with very complex needs who required supervision. This placed people and staff at increased risk of harm.”
However, inspectors did point out that: “Staff are highly motivated and inspired to offer care that is kind and promotes people's dignity. Relationships between people who use the service and staff are strong, caring, respectful and supportive."
Wiltshire Health and Care LLP was last inspected in 2017 and received a Good rating. The latest inspection took place in April 2023.
Shirley-Ann Carvill, managing director of Wiltshire Health and Care LLP, said: “Whilst this is disappointing, I am pleased that the majority of our services remain Good.
"WHC has been impacted by similar challenges being faced across the NHS at this time, but please be assured we are all working together in partnership with other health and care providers to continue to make improvements to deliver outstanding care.”
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