Specialist Wiltshire hospital rated inadequate
South Newton Hospital cares for people with neurological conditions
Last updated 17th Mar 2022
A hospital near Salisbury which cares for patients with neurological conditions has been judged 'inadequate' by the health watchdog.
The Care Quality Commission carried out an unannounced inspection at South Newton Hospital in January following concerns about 'ongoing risks' and because it had not had a comprehensive inspection since it was registered in 2020.
The hospital is run by private firm Renovo Care and provides NHS-funded services for up to 17 patients.
Overall rating inadequate
The report said the hospital 'did not meet legal requirements relating to safe care and treatment, infection control, safeguarding and good governance.'
There were concerns about the processes and procedures to control the spread of Covid-19 and whether enough was being done to protect patients from contracting the virus.
At the time of the inspection staff were not using enhanced PPE to help clear a patient's airway. The patient testing regime was also branded 'ineffective' and not regular enough.
Staff did not always keep accurate records of patients' care and treatment either.
There were also concerns with how the service was being run;
"Leaders did not always recognise safeguarding concerns and respond effectively or ensure staff were trained to the appropriate level" whilst incidents were "not always effectively investigated to reduce the risk of potential harm from similar or repeated incidents."
What the rating looked at
Whilst the overall rating for the hospital was 'inadquate' some sectors faired better.
- Are services safe? Inadequate
- Are services effective? Requires Improvement
- Are services caring? Good
- Are services responsive to people’s needs? Requires Improvement
- Are services well-led? Inadequate
Inspectors did note that staff treated patients with 'compassion and kindness' and interacted in a 'warm and friendly way' whilst their privacy and dignity was respected.
You can read the full report on the Care Quality Commission website
The provider has been told to make a number of improvements and the CQC will continue to monitor the service to check these are made.
Response
A spokesperson for Renovo said:
“We acknowledge the feedback from the CQC inspection and are pleased with the ‘Good’ rating for being a caring service and the positive comments from inspectors and patients about the care and support given at the hospital. We are disappointed with the overall rating and are committed to making swift and sustainable improvements, led by the senior team and an experienced manager who is currently undergoing CQC registration.”