Mental health services in the area 'close to meltdown'

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A damning report into the state of mental health services could be on the horizon after inspectors raised concerns during a visit to the local health Trust.



The Care Quality Commission is not due to release its report into Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust until April - but problems have already been raised with bosses.

It comes after an intensive inspection across the organisation last month.

One member of staff within the Trust, who did not wish to be named, told the Observer mental health services in the area were 'close to meltdown' and there were fears the Trust could fall into special measures after the inspection.

The worker added morale was at an all time low and clinical staff were being ignored with bosses focusing purely on financial issues ahead of a fourth attempt to become a Foundation Trust.

Chief executive Rachel Newson insisted those claims were not true and were based on one individual's opinion - not reflecting the tone of inspectors' feedback.

But a letter sent by her to all staff - seen by the Observer - revealed they had highlighted a number of concerns, including high demand in some services and the resulting pressures on staff, along with doubts over clinical practice within one ward at the University Hospital-based Caludon Centre.

Access and security fears at another site were also highlighted along with the fact patients known to be a fire risk were allowed to retain lighters.

The letter also revealed at least one worker had claimed the inspection visit was staged and they had been told what to say by bosses, while Ms Newson also raised concerns that some staff had 'blown the whistle' to inspectors on the culture of the organisation instead of using the Trust's own policy.

However, the letter did reveal inspectors identified areas of good practice such as the number of dedicated and competent staff working at the organisation, as well as risk management, clinical leadership and safeguarding practice.

The CQC said it would not be commenting on the inspection until the report is released in mid-April.

* IN A statement sent to the Observer, the Trust's chief executive Rachel Newson said: “I’m sorry to hear that a member of staff feels this way. We have welcomed CQC inspectors to our services, and encourage staff and anyone interested in our services to get involved in this inspection process.

“The CQC inspectors are still collecting and reviewing evidence, and we are yet to receive their final report. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure our patients, carers, staff and members of the public that the claims made in this letter are not true, are based on an individual’s opinion and don’t reflect the tone of the inspectors’ feedback so far.

“Patients, carers, staff and members of the public have been invited to tell Inspectors their thoughts about the services we provide. We have promoted this through a press release, a prominent link in the Trust website and questionnaires based within services across the Trust, encouraging open and honest feedback direct to the inspectors.

“After the inspectors’ visit, I wrote to all staff to try to describe what we had been told. This letter was offered in a spirit of openness and was designed to share the positive feedback received as well as the issues the inspectors have raised. We are doing further work with the CQC on these areas, to understand whether these are real issues to be addressed, or whether after all the evidence is looked at, it is decided that they are not issues of concern. A full report of the inspectors’ findings will be published by the CQC in the Spring.

“The welfare of every member of staff at the Trust is extremely important and we encourage all staff to discuss their opinions, share their views and raise their concerns through various routes including peer support, team meetings, staff engagement events, staff forums, online suggestions schemes and consultations, as well as through local and national whistleblowing procedures.

“Financial issues remain important to us, as they are to all NHS Trusts, and despite the financial challenges the NHS faces we are in a good financial position. I want to make it clear that our top priority remains, and always will be, the quality of care we provide to every single patient that we see.”

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Mental Health Trust downgrading jobs, whistleblowers claim



SKILLED jobs at the mental health trust are being secretly downgraded, it has been claimed.

Current and ex-workers within the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust told the Observer the loss of senior staff would result in more harm for people using the service.

Our exclusive story last week, which claimed morale was at an all-time low on the back of a CQC inspection, prompted the whistle-blowers - including an ex-senior manager - to contact us.

They claimed the public were not being fully informed of the widespread changes being witnessed within the trust after it emerged the equivalent of 468 full time jobs could go by next May.

The trust insisted it was not downgrading skilled jobs and that the delivery of high quality patient care remained its focus.

But whistle-blowers claim the type of jobs will be changing, with a shift to lower-skilled staff. Information seen by us, and not contested by the trust, show the number of band six nurses in health teams will fall from 108 to 61, with lower-rated band five staff rising from 24 to 61.

And in psychology, band six and seven staff - who have basic training - will rise to almost 30 combined compared to more senior staff, including consultants, falling from 25 to nine.

One current worker said that could result in more cases of self-harm or even suicides.

And the ex-manager added: "These are only about ten per cent cuts in the overall budget and because the bottom line of numbers of staff look like insignificant changes, the implications aren't obvious. However, the down-gradings have a massive impact.

"The group who will really lose out are the large population, who may be in work and generally function well, who happen to have significant mental health issues and need a more skilled, individualised approach to treatment."

But trust chief executive Rachel Newson rejected those claims.

"Our trust has embarked on an ambitious five year programme of work that will transform all our services and redesign how we deliver our care to patients.

“There is no doubt all NHS organisations are facing financial challenges and we need to change the way we work so we are able respond effectively to local and national changes.

“However, the redesign of services we are currently working towards aims to bring clinical teams together and will help us to deliver improved outcomes for our patients.

“Changes to our team structures, which will help improve the way we deliver our services, are being conducted through full consultation with all members of staff.”