Cawston Park hospital closed after 'consistent failures'

Cawston Park, pictured in 2007, had been in special measures since 2019

A hospital which provided care for adults with a learning disability or autism closed after "consistent failures in meeting standards", the health watchdog said.

Cawston Park in Norfolk, which had been in special measures since 2019, closed on 12 May after an inspection.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors reported provider Jeesal was "unable to demonstrate improvements".

Jeesal says the report "does not reflect accurately on our service".

The CQC said it inspected the hospital in Cawston, near Aylsham, in March to "check on previous concerns and areas where enforcement had been carried out".

It found areas of concern including not having "all the specialists required" or enough "appropriately skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe".

There were also issues with ligature risk assessments.

Staff did not always monitor the effect of medicines on people's physical health or follow prescribing instructions, and medicine records were incomplete.

The CQC also found that people "did not always receive kind and compassionate care" and staff "did not always protect and respect people's privacy and dignity or understand each person's individual needs".

'Continuous interventions'

A statement said: "The provider was unable to demonstrate any improvements, despite caring for a significant reduction in the number of people at the hospital."

As a result, the service was rated inadequate overall and the CQC began the process of cancelling its registration.

Jeesal then decided to close the hospital, it said.

Dr Kevin Cleary, deputy chief inspector of hospitals and lead for mental health, said the hospital had a "long history of poor performance" and bosses had "failed to ensure the service improved, despite continuous interventions by CQC".

"It was clear that service leaders were unable to make the necessary improvements vital to providing the appropriate care for the vulnerable people at the hospital," he said.

"We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted."

He added that the CQC decided to cancel its registration to "ensure people are moved to alternative care settings where they will receive the proper level of care they need".

Tugay Akman, managing director of Jeesal Akman Care Corporation Ltd, said the provider had "made significant changes" since last year.

"There has been inconsistencies between the verbal feedback we have received in comparison to what we have read in the reports," he said.

"I believe that the report does not reflect accurately on our service or the work we have done."

Mr Akman said the provider had supported its staff to find new jobs and supported clinical commissioning groups in discharging the remaining patients.