Patient watchdog concerned by inspection failings (From Bicester Advertiser)

Patient watchdog concerned by inspection failings

9:00am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News By Tom Jennings, covering Witney and West Oxfordshire. Call me on 01865 425403

Jacquie Pearce-Gervis of Oxfordshire-based watchdog Patient Voice

OXFORDSHIRE has almost double the national average of health and care home providers failing basic care standards.

Of the 60 reports published by the Care Quality Commission since January, 28 have failed in one or more categories. That’s 47 per cent in Oxfordshire compared to a national average of 25 per cent.

The CQC, which looks at care homes, hospitals and dentists, has found failings including in the amount of staff, training, cleanliness and safety of patients.

But care homes have said they are struggling to recruit enough staff in Oxfordshire and others have said they are being condemned on minor points.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “I am very concerned that failings on standards in Oxfordshire are running so far ahead of a national average, which is itself shocking.

“This underlines the importance of an across-the-board drive to improve care standards and the terms, conditions, training and professional accreditation of care workers.”

Jacquie Pearce-Gervis, of Oxfordshire-based watchdog Patient Voice, said: “It is worrying. It is 28 too many and they should be doing something about it. It just highlights the importance of the Care Quality Commission inspections.”

The Oxford Mail last week revealed concerns over the number of inspectors employed by the CQC in Oxfordshire.

But county councillor Jim Couchman, of Oxfordshire joint health overview & scrutiny committee, said: “I think that there is not a single establishment for health and social services in the county where you could not fail at least one of the standards. To expect perfection is optimistic. What I would worry about is significant shortcomings, particularly in safeguarding of frail and elderly people.”

Mark Constant is director of home care provider Total Home Care Solutions, which failed in four of the 16 CQC inspection standards.

He said: “I know that most providers in our area find it very difficult to hire staff, and we pay a lot more in Oxfordshire than anywhere else. I would love to see more money from the Government given to companies and passed on to staff wages.”

Dan Hayes is operations director for the Orders of St John Care Trust, which had three of its care homes failing on one of the CQC standards.

He said: “Even good providers will have issues from time to time and homes should not be condemned for minor non-compliances. The process has to become more objective and the response by the home to make improvements following inspections should also be measured.”

A CQC spokesman said because of the “small sample size” there was no reason to believe there was an unusual level of concern in Oxfordshire.

FAILING TO MEET STANDARDS

The 28 institutions in Oxfordshire that have been found non-compliant in one or more of the Care Quality Commission’s 16 standards:

• Heathfield House Nursing Home, Bletchingdon: Six failings, including unqualified staff, lack of cleanliness, food not meeting dietary needs and care not safe and appropriate
• Holt Farm Care Limited, Steeple Aston: Five failings, including people not asked if they agreed to treatment, not protected from abuse, and not acting on complaints
• The Doris Watts Care Home, Carterton: Five failings, including people not protected from abuse, not safe from equipment and not enough staff to keep people safe
• The Robert & Doris Watts Nursing Home, Carterton: Five failings, including people not protected from abuse and failing to inform the CQC about safety incidents
• Beech Court Nursing Home, Eynsham: Four failings, including people not asked if they agreed to examinations and not given medicines when needed them
• Total Home Care Solutions, Oxford: Four failings, including not enough staff to keep people safe and not properly training and supervising staff
• Lyndhurst Residential Care Home, Goring-on-Thames: Three failings, including people not protected from abuse and not enough staff to keep people safe
• St Katharine's House, Wantage: Three failings, including people not kept safe from harm and not enough staff to keep people safe
• Cleeve Lodge, Goring-on-Thames: Warned after two failings - not enough staff to keep people safe and no quality checking systems to manage risks and assure safety
• The Lady Nuffield Home, Oxford: Two failings - not properly training and supervising staff and records not accurate and kept safe and confidential
• The Knowl, Abingdon: Two failings - people not cared for in a clean environment and personal records not accurate and kept safe and confidential
• Disabilities Trust, Woodlands Road, Sonning Common: Not enough staff to keep people safe and meet health and welfare needs
• HF Trust, No 3 Milton Heights, Milton: Personal records, including medical records, not accurate and kept safe and confidential
• Enstone House, Enstone: People not given safe and appropriate care that met needs and supported rights
• Warneford Hospital, Headington: People not cared for in safe and accessible surroundings that supported health and welfare
• OSJCT Old Station House, Abingdon: Personal records, including medical records, not accurate and kept safe and confidential
• Beech Haven, Chipping Norton: People not given medicines they needed when they needed them, and in a safe way
• Hawthorns, Minster Lovell: People not treated with respect, involved in discussions about care and able to influence how the service was run
• OSJCT Glebe House, Kidlington: Personal records, including medical records, not accurate and kept safe and confidential
• Brookfield, Greater Leys: Not enough staff to keep people safe and meet health and welfare needs
• Green Pastures Christian Nursing Home, Banbury: People given safe and appropriate care that met needs and support rights
• Cherrytree Dental Care, Wantage: Staff not properly trained and supervised, and not given chance to develop and improve skills.
• HMP Huntercombe, Henley-on-Thames: People not cared for in safe and accessible surroundings that supported health and welfare
• United Response, Adkin Way, Wantage: Personal records, including medical records, not accurate and kept safe and confidential
• OSJCT Longlands, Blackbird Leys: People not given safe and appropriate care that met needs and supported rights
• Care with Care, Eynsham: Personal records, including medical records, not accurate and kept safe and confidential
• Oxford (homecare provider), Witney: Not enough members of staff to keep people safe and meet health and welfare needs
• Didcot Self Directed Support Service, Didcot: Personal records, including medical records, not accurate and kept safe and confidential