Adult care services 'requires improvement' - CQC

Inspectors visited community adults mental health locality tems based in Peterborough, Huntingdon and Cambridge

An NHS trust's mental health services for adults of working age "requires improvement", according to a watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited the community adults mental health locality teams across a number of sites managed by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust on 12 and 13 June of this year.

Inspectors told the trust its service was "not performing as well as it should" overall.

Steve Grange, chief executive of the trust, said it took the findings "very seriously". The trust's overall CQC rating remains as "good".

CQC inspectors were called after it said it received "information of concern".

The mental health service was found to be "outstanding" in its care of patients.

It was also performing at a "good" level for is effectiveness and responsiveness but required improvement in its safety and leadership.

Inspectors found that the service had high sickness rates and some teams had high nursing vacancy rates.

Disconnected from leadership

Inspectors said processes allowing staff to speak up did not always work effectively.

"Staff felt disconnected from the trust senior leadership team," they said.

However, staff were found to support the vision and values of the trust.

Mr Grange said the trust had acknowledged the issues raised.

"We are proud that the dedication of our frontline staff to deliver exceptional care has been recognised," he added. "Their hard work remains at the heart of everything we do.

"As a trust, we are fully committed to strengthening our leadership, enhancing staff support, and improving the environment to ensure our teams are empowered to provide the highest level of care to those who rely on our services."

'Deeply troubling'

A joint statement from Liberal Democrat MPs - Ian Sollom for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, Pippa Heylings for South Cambridgeshire, and Charlotte Cane for Ely and East Cambridgeshire - was issued following the report's publication.

They praised the staff's care and compassion which they said was "encouraging".

The MPs urged the trust to review the report "and work to implement the improvements where needed to ensure that all service-users across Cambridgeshire have access to the highest level of safe care possible".

"We will continue to monitor this issue," they added.