CQC prosecutes Yorkshire-based mental health hospital operator
9 Mar 2010 01:13 PM
The operator of the Yorkshire-based mental health hospital, Linden House, has been ordered to pay £17,015 in fines and costs relating to breaches of the Care Standards Act 2000.
At Beverley Magistrates’ Court on 2 March, Linden House operator, Care Principles Limited, pleaded guilty to five charges relating to the administration of medication.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) brought the case against Care Principles, which manages the low to medium-secure hospital in Market Weighton near York.
The charges relate to evidence CQC collected at the hospital during unannounced visits in September 2008.
Despite on-going issues largely being rectified since they were found, the company was prosecuted over its failure to provide the minimum legal standards of care.
CQC senior enforcement manager Tim Weller said:
"We are encouraged that the standards of care for patients at Linden House have improved since legal proceedings against the operator started, although it is disappointing that legal action was required before standards were addressed.
"We hope the quality of care for these vulnerable patients continues to improve and will be scrutinising the services at this hospital for the further improvements we expect to see."
CQC had previously found minimum standards were not being met at the hospital in relation to issues including staffing levels, observational levels and suicide/self harm audits were not being completed. The regulator notes improvements have been made in these areas following a regular inspection programme.
Linden House provides services for patients with a learning disability and for patients detained under the Mental Health Act.
For more information please call Sarah Robertson on 020 7448 9210 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.
Notes to editors
- Guilty pleas were entered by the defendant in respect of five charges relating to the administration of medication. These included offences related to:
- A patient was administered medication without the clinician having written up the rationale for prescribing that medication
- A failure to maintain appropriate stock checks, disposal of medication which had expired, or record the destruction or disposal of medications
- A failure to maintain adequate arrangements for the storage of medicines required to be refrigerated. Temperatures exceeded those prescribed by drug manufacturers, the company failed to react appropriately to recordings of temperatures outside the safe range, in some cases simply re-setting the thermometer, and without taking measures to ensure that drugs maintained at incorrect temperatures remained effective to administer
- Staff training concerning the storage of safe medication was not completed for all staff with delegated responsibility.
About the Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of all health and adult social care in England. We inspect all health and adult social care services in England, whether they're provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations. We also seek to protect the interests of people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act. We make sure that essential common standards of quality are met everywhere care is provided, from hospitals to private care homes, and we work towards their improvement. We promote the rights and interests of people who use services and we have a wide range of enforcement powers to take action on their behalf if services are unacceptably poor.
Our work brings together (for the first time) independent regulation of health, mental health and adult social care. Before 1 April 2009, this work was carried out by the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
Our aim is to make sure that better care is provided for everyone, whether it is in hospital, in care homes, in people’s own homes, or anywhere else that care is provided.
Registration: The Health and Social Care Act 2008 introduced a new, single registration system that applies to both health and adult social care. The new system will make sure that people can expect services to meet new essential standards of quality and safety that respect their dignity and protect their rights. The new system is focused on outcomes, rather than systems and processes, and places the views and experiences of people who use services at its centre.
From April 2010, all health and adult social care providers will be required by law to be registered with CQC and must show that they are meeting the essential standards. Registration isn’t just about initial application for registration. We will continuously monitor compliance with the essential standards as part of a new, more dynamic, responsive and robust system of regulation.