Meeting documents

To receive this report.

The Committee received a report and presentation from the Chief Executive, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust regarding the inspection of the Trust by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February and March 2017.

The Trust had previously been inspected by the CQC in September 2015 where the CQC rated the Trust as requires improvement overall.  Following the inspection in March 2017, the CQC changed the overall rating of the Trust to good.

The report detailed the significant progress made by the Trust in addressing the concerns the CQC had raised in September 2015. CQC has still identified areas for improvement for the Trust, particularly in relation to community hospital and mental health inpatient services and the Trust will be developing an action plan to address the areas identified as requiring improvement.  The Trust is ambitious to move from good to outstanding. 

The Committee heard that the learning Disability service has been transformed by the staff leading the service.  It was clarified that the Trust provides the assessment segment of the autism service and that the local authority provides the on-going service.  There is a commitment to joining up care pathways which it is hoped will improve the experience for patients with autism.

In response to a question, it was reported that the inspection shows that significant improvements have been made in mental health services.  In some areas the Trust is performing much better than other areas of the country.  However, the Trust is not complacent and constantly seeks to improve.

It was clarified that dental services could not be inspected because a specialist inspector was not available.  Considerable work has been done to improve dental services since it was last rated as requiring improvement and the Trust is confident that it will receive a better rating when re-inspected.   

In addition, the Chief executive was also able to provide updates regarding the temporarily closed ward at Minehead Hospital and the Magnolia Ward in Yeovil.  It was confirmed that the temporarily closed ward at Minehead Hospital will re-open on 11^th July 2017 with staff relocating from the ward at Williton Hospital. It was also confirmed that the Magnolia Ward in Yeovil will be temporarily closed as of the 12^th July 2017 on the grounds of patient safety.  The ward cares for older patients with dementia but there is currently insufficient staff to maintain a safe service.  A number of steps have been taken to try to mitigate the temporary closure including: opening four additional beds in Taunton; purchasing extra spot care in the Yeovil area and the provision of a seven day outreach service. 

The Committee congratulated the Trust on its improved performance and noted the report.