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An Inspector Calls
Posted Tuesday 27 November 2012
As a CQC Inspector, I rely on several sources of information to help me in my role. Feedback I receive from members of the public about the care they, or their relative or loved one, has received is particularly valuable.
This information helps inform decisions I make about when, where and what I inspect. In some cases, it can lead me to make an immediate inspection.
In one such case earlier this year, concerns raised by a member of the public about the care their relative received at a care home prompted me to carry out an immediate unannounced inspection.
The person concerned told us about their relative's experience in confidence by completing the online feedback form on our website (people can also telephone or email our National Customer Service Centre).
They reported long delays between their relative pressing an emergency call button and a member of staff coming to attend. They also raised concerns about staffing levels at the home, lack of dignity for their relative and staff not respecting their relative's personal preferences.
The family member gave a lot of detailed information about their relative's experience of care. This was very important as the more information I have, the better able I am to decide what action is required.
I had recently received other similar concerns from another member of the public about this particular care home. This additional information further heightened my concerns leading me to make this immediate and unannounced inspection of the home.
When I inspected the home I found that some people were not experiencing safe and appropriate care and treatment, and that care records did not accurately reflect people's needs.
I also found that some people living in the home weren't always experiencing appropriate support and that not all staff working at the home understood the needs of the people they were supporting.
As a result I judged that the home was not meeting national standards in relation to suitably trained staff and the provision of care and welfare.
The results of the inspection have been published on our website, as are the results of all our inspections, and the home was required to produce a report setting out exactly what action it was going to take in order to meet these standards. As always, we follow up to ensure the necessary improvements are made.
If you have experienced poor care, or know that poor care is being provided somewhere, it is important that you report it to CQC. If you wish, you can do so anonymously.
Although we don't investigate individual complaints, the information you provide plays a vital role in helping CQC Inspectors like me, decide when and where to check that important standards of quality and safety are being met.
Each and every piece of feedback CQC receives is valuable to us. It helps us to build a picture of what is happening in each hospital, care home or home care agency between our routine inspections; and whenever we find that national standards are not being met, we always take action to make sure care improves.
Edith
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates whether hospitals, care homes and care services are meeting national standards of quality and safety, to ensure people receive better care. They also have a specific role to monitor use of the Mental Health Act powers to detain people for treatment.
CQC is currently asking for views on their plans for the next three years. They particularly want to know what people think about how they regulate services, their role in the complaints system, and their responsibilities in relation to mental health services. Have your say. The deadline for feedback is Thursday 6, December 2012.
8 Comments
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In A&E I've been physically manhandled by security staff simply for wanting to leave the dept whilst NOT detained under the MHA. Sutured with no LA with it being made clear that it's a punishment, sexually harassed, had medical photography thrust upon me without my consent, discharged still vomiting after surgery, and directly refused treatment on grounds of self-infliction [self-injury].
I wouldn't report someone tying me down to the trolley and assaulting me because there would be no point. The CPS would be unlikely to progress the case because mental health service users are not viewed as reliable witnesses. It takes years even when we do report it before anyone takes it seriously. PALS are about as useful as chocolate teapot, advocacy services have been decimated, and NHS complaints systems [be that for for physical or mental health] are simply not geared up to address issues, from a simple 'sorry you didn't receive our best care' through to negligence [and there's no legal aid].
Even accessing notes can destroy a relationship with a GP, and complaints have nasty consequences such as diagnostic overshadowing. -
Dear mindreader,
Those sound like really horrendous, distressing experiences, and I’m sorry you had to go through them. Nobody should be treated that way, especially not when they’re going through a difficult time or are in crisis. We think that everybody with a mental health problem should be treated with care and respect, and it sounds like this hasn’t happened.
I can understand why you feel you might not want to report these incidences, but it’s important that serious issues like this are raised and addressed. If you would like any information about making a complaint, our infoline might be able to help (0300 123 3393). There’s also info on complaining about health and social care on our website (http://bit.ly/Sk0iwt), or you could give your feedback through Patient Opinion - http://www.patientopinion.org.uk/.
I hope things are better for you now, and that if you need to access services in the future you have a more positive experience.
Take care, Jemima from Mind
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Thank you for posting a comment in response to our blog. We really value hearing about people's experiences of care as this information helps us when we check that services meet national standards of quality and safety . When relevant it also helps us in our work to make sure that mental health law is used correctly and that patients are cared for properly while they are detained in hospital or are on a community treatment order. To help us use this information in the right way we need to get some more details from you, including the name of the services where you received this care. If you're happy to share some further details please contact us on 03000 61 61 61 or email us at enquiries@cqc.org.uk .
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I recognise much of what mindreader writes and it is disturbing reading. Many years ago when I used to cut myself (very superficially) and took overdoses the staff in both A&E and the psychiatric unit were as nasty as they could be. 'Next time make sure you take the whole lot' was one doctor's response.
I am also only just facing up to sexual abuse from staff that went on in both the adolescent unit and 'halfway house' hostel I was in, referred there by psychiatrist. The worst abuse was directed against others and I only endured what would be called groping but also full snogging from a male nurse: however we were all badly affected by what was going on.
What worries me the most was that in the hostel some of the boys acted out, quite seriously on occasion, but this should be seen in the context of constant sexual harassment and innuendo from a staff member who was a child sex abuser. If those boys' medical notes and records are still intact there will be no mention of what they were acting out against. Really unfair.
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Some years ago I had cause to complain about my GP. I felt care and treatment I never received for my mental health and pysical problems was due to incompetence and prejudice of the GP. When attending appointments at the surgery I felt I was held for unusually long periods before seeing the doctor even though I had expressed that I was suffering from acute anxiety and that it took all my strength to attend. When I did eventually get to see the GP he would consistently leave me in his consulting room alone for up to twenty minutes on one occasion. There were patients' notes, a pad of blank prescriptions and who knows what else left on his desk within arms reach. I was suffering from psychosis at the time but did not know how to explain this to GP. I felt he wanted me to steal something so he could wash his hands of me. I approached the pals service where one person commented 'oh doctor ------' don't worry hes not long off retirement' as if this would be justification for the way I felt treated.
eventually, after much mental distress, no referral for my severe condition I received the inevitable paternalistic, patronising letter from the health authority saying 'we're sorry that you feel the service you have received....blah, blah, blah'. I got an advocate who set up a reconciliation meeting with the GP. The health authority said they would be willing to supply an indipendant chair to the meeting and take minutes. Well, the independent chair was anything but and I later found they were employed by the health authority. The minutes bore little resemblance to what I conveyed in the meeting and painted the GP in a totally justified light. In short it was a stitch up! But I'd naively trusted their assurances. What a fool I felt later. All I wanted to know was why I wasn't reffered for further investigation/treatment when it was obvious I was seriously mentally ill along with other physical illnesses like helicobacter bug in my stomach which I had to endure for 4 years. It was later treated by a fortnights course of antibiotics from a consultant. There were many more incidents to in my relationship with the local service which would be said to be anecdotal. However, when all put together could be easily construed as prejudice and incompetence. I was told that if I wasn't satisfied I could go to the health service ombudsman. By this time I was in mental crisis and could not have gone through the system. I had to eventually demand that the authority give me a different GP. But you know what your record follows you around. I came to realise that it would be far too easy for the medics to say that my perception of the care I received was actually part of my mental health condition. So I gave up trying to find answers in the end. I was a despicable time.
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Dear Dymphna, I'm really worried to hear about how you were abused while in care, please call our infoline 0300 123 3393 and they can talk you through your options if you decide to take action. You can also read our information about what you can do http://www.mind.org.uk/help/community_care/abuse_by_health_and_social_care_workers#action I'm hope you're now getting support to deal with this, if you need someone to listen, the Samaritans are there 24/7 08457 90 90 90 and our infoline can put you in touch with support services too.
What you describe as happening to you in A&E is really unacceptable, everyone should be treated with care and respect when they are in crisis. Which is why we're campaigning on this issue. Take care, -
Dear Nick, I'm so sorry to read about your experience, it really does sounds like you had a despicable time. Anyone who needs help for their mental health should be able to get the support they need from their GPs as well as the respect they deserve. I do hope you are better supported now but if you wanted to find out about other local services you could try our infoline. Email info@mind.org.uk or call 0300 123 3393. You could also give your feedback through Patient Opinion - http://www.patientopinion.org.uk/ Take care,
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Taryn@Mind - that's very kind of you to reply. I wouldn't even contemplate taking action as a so-called mental patient I'd never be taken seriously but I will be writing to both authorities just so that it is acknowledged. At the time I was so traumatised and in shock by what had happened to me in the adult psych unit that the abuse in the adolescent unit didn't outrage me as it would've done if I wasn't already upset. As I said the abuse was fairly low level and nothing like as bad as the abuse in my family.
I am fortunate to be in a position where I can afford counselling and will be taking this up.
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