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Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust rated Good by CQC
A south east London trust that specialises in mental health care and community services has been rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission.
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust was re-inspected between 27 February and 1 March 2017, following an inspection in April 2016 when it was rated Requires Improvement.
The trust, which provides mental health and community services in the London boroughs of Bromley, Bexley and Greenwich, was rated Good for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
During the most recent focused inspection CQC inspected acute wards for adults and psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs) and mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety which have both been rated Good. Inspectors also rated community health services for children, young people and families as Good.
CQC undertook this inspection to find out whether Oxleas had made improvements in three services since the last comprehensive inspection.
When CQC last inspected the trust in April 2016, inspectors rated acute wards for adults of working age and PICUs as Inadequate overall. After the April 2016 inspection the trust was told it must take action to avoid patients sleeping on sofas in lounges while waiting for an inpatient bed, to stop same sex accommodation breaches and ensure ligature assessments were carried out on all wards.
This year inspectors found there had been significant improvements across all the acute inpatient wards. All the previous concerns had been addressed. Patients and staff were very positive about improvements in the safety and quality of care being delivered.
Jane Ray, CQC’s Head of Hospital Inspection (Mental Health) said:
“During this most recent inspection, it was encouraging to find that Oxleas had addressed the issues we raised following the April 2016 inspection."
“The trust leadership team had acknowledged where improvements needed to take place. They had worked very effectively as a team and with other stakeholders to bring about significant improvements in a timely manner."
“It was very positive to be able to see how the changes had led to an improved quality of care for people using these services."
“This inspection found that the trust was well led and the CQC has confidence that the leadership team will be able to sustain these improvements going forward."
You can read the report in full on our website.
Ends
For further information please contact Ray Cooling, Regional Engagement Manager (London), on 020 7448 9136 or call the press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours.
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- Last updated:
- 2 May 2017
Notes to editors
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust provides a wide range of health and social care services in south east London, specialising in community health, mental health and learning disability services. The trust provides local NHS services in south London and Kent, caring for around 28,400 people a month with an annual income of approximately £228 million. Services are provided from around 125 sites in different locations across the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich and into Kent. The trust employs approximately 3,500 staff.
During the inspection visit, the inspection team:
- Visited all nine acute wards and a psychiatric intensive care unit at the three hospital sites, looked at the quality of the ward environments and observed how staff were caring for patients.
- Visited three home treatment teams, three day treatment teams and two health-based places of safety. The team observed the quality and safety of these environments.
- Visited two child development centres in the London borough of Greenwich.
- Spoke with 37 patients who were using the services.
- Spoke with the managers or acting managers for each of the wards, home treatment teams and day services and the operational lead nurses for two health visiting teams.
- Spoke with 68 other staff members including doctors, nurses, modern matrons, healthcare assistants, occupational therapists, social workers, health visitors,
- nursery nurses, a family engagement worker, an assistant speech and language therapist, a student health visitor, an administrator and an estates and facilities manager
- Spoke with the designated lead for looked after children.
- Looked at 62 patient medicine administration records
- Interviewed members of the senior executive team and attended a trust board meeting.
Whenever CQC inspects it will always ask the following five questions of every service:
- Are they safe?
- Are they effective?
- Are they caring?
- Are they responsive to people’s needs?
- Are they well-led?
