Agenda item

Mary Sexton, the Executive Director of Nursing, Quality and Governance – Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust provided the Committee with a verbal update in relation to quality issues at the Trust.

Ms. Sexton advised the Committee that in respect of the following;-

1)    Inappropriate use of seclusion rooms at St Ann’s Hospital:

The Committee noted that the CQC had revisited the Trust on 11 April 2014 and that the Enforcement Notice had been rescinded.

2)    Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Service Line:

The Committee noted that  the CQC had visited the older adults mental health wards at Chase Farm Hospital in September 2013 and judged the Trust to be non compliant in the areas of Outcome 4 (Care and Welfare), Outcome 10 (Safety and Suitability of Premises), Outcome 16 (Assessing and Monitoring Quality of Services) and Outcome 21 (Records). The Committee were informed that an action plan was put in place and submitted to the CQC. The Committee noted that in April 2014, the Trust advised the CQC they were fully compliant and the CQC were invited to re-inspect. The Committee were informed that the Trust was awaiting a further re-inspection of the services by the CQC.

The Committee were advised that over the last 9 months, the Trust had demonstrated improved compliance, which is a reflection in moving from a position of 11 areas of non compliance to 4 (at the time of this meeting) and that those 4 were awaiting re-inspection by the CQC.  The Committee noted that the Trust was working closely with the three Clinical Commissioning Groups. 

Vivienne Stimpson, the Director of Quality and Governance at Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) noted that there was an on-going level of concern about quality at the Trust and advised that the CCG would continue to work with the Clinical Quality Review Group (CQRG) to assess the service.  Ms. Stimpson noted that effort had been made to make improvements at the Trust. 

The Committee noted that some services at the Trust were commissioned by NHS England and others by the CCG, which presented a need to share joint commissioning intelligence. 

Ms.Stimpson advised the Committee that Barnet CCG would be working closely with the Trust and through NHS England and advised that the Trust were on “enhanced monitoring.” 

Referring to the report, a Member noted that the CQRG had agreed to extend the role of the Task and Finish Group (TFG) to Project Manage the “Bay Tree, Cornwall Villas, Silver Birches Improvement Plan” and questioned if CQRG were confident that the TFG would show the outcomes as they should be.  Ms. Sexton advised that the Task and Finish Group was meeting regularly and that assurance had been sought that an action plan was in place. 

A Member noted the seclusion rooms had been used partly because of pressure.  The Member questioned how confident the Trust could be about holding onto the improvement with decreasing money because of tariffs.  Ms. Sexton advised that she shared that concern and noted that any patient who had needed the seclusion room would have been able to use it. She also pointed out that the organisation had to balance funding with demand. 

A Member noted that the role of commissioners in making the right decision at the right time and commented that demand could increase as people live longer. 

A Member commented that as a Committee, this was a topic that they would be likely to want to review in future. 

RESOLVED that the Committee note the robust approach in dealing with quality and safety issues at the Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust and request to kept updated.