Herefordshire and Worcestershire NHS trust 'requires improvement'

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust has been rated as "requires improvement" overall

An NHS trust is failing to give "sufficient priority" to safety, say inspectors, who have called for changes in its community and mental health services.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust has been downgraded from "good" to "requires improvement" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors found problems with safety in all four services of the trust.

The NHS trust has been approached by the BBC for comment.

An unannounced inspection was carried out at three mental health services and one community health service at the trust, between February and June last year.

In its report, the CQC said the inspection was prompted over concerns it had received over sexual safety on the acute wards for adults at Hill Crest, based in Redditch, Worcestershire.

Inspectors did conclude the trust's ratings for its acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units, as well as its community-based mental health services had improved, from "inadequate" to "requires improvement."

However, along with the trust's overall rating, the inspectors downgraded its mental health crisis services and its community health services for adults from "good" to "requires improvement."

Craig Howarth, from the CQC, said leaders had the experience, knowledge and capability to carry out their roles, but staff had not always worked collaboratively.

He added inspectors had found evidence of a "closed culture" within the trust, but it had started to address concerns across the organisation.

The CQC said it carried out the inspection because of concerns over patient safety at the Hill Crest unit

In relation to Hill Crest, Mr Howarth said: "The mixed sex wards weren't always laid out, used, and monitored in a way that ensured people were safe from the risk of sexual safety incidents.

"Incidents weren't always recorded effectively - for example, it took staff two months to update records for a person who'd been involved in a sexual safety incident."

Inspectors also found not all incidents had been managed well or had been escalated or reported.

However, inspectors found staff at the NHS trust had treated people with compassion and kindness and supported patients with managing their care, with the overall rating for caring and responsiveness again rated as "good."

Improvements at the trust will continue to be monitored, to ensure people "receive the care they have a right to expect," the CQC said.