The Care Quality Commission inspected Kettering Hospital and found several areas requiring improvement. http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/top-stories/kettering-hospital-pledges-to-improve-standards-1-5420712 Published on 27th August 2013
Areas highlighted in the report include:
1. Risk assessments were not always completed and care was not planned or delivered for some people in such a way as to meet their individual needs or ensure their welfare and safety.
My response: Q: Why not? Lack of skill or time to complete them? Shouldn’t this be done on admission and reviewed appropriately?
2. Staff knowledge of reducing the risk of pressure ulcers for bed-ridden patients was “varied”
My response: Q: Why? Lack of training? Lack of time to attend training? Pressure sores can be a killer!
3.No effective screening of some areas where children were being treated.
My response: Q: Why not? Lack of time or knowledge?
4. Marked reduction in the availability of medical staff in the A&E department at the weekends
My response: Q: Why? Shortage of medical staff? Have they got a Bank of medical staff to call on?
5. A reluctance by staff to investigate whether children were being abused at home was also highlighted in the report.
My response: Q: Why? Lack of skill and/or confidence to do this? Fear of getting it wrong?
Why couldn’t professional staff who have a duty of care carry out what they are paid to do?’ [A duty of care is the legal obligation to safeguard others from harm while they are in the hospitals care.]
I come across a lot of these reports which highlight poor practices and weak areas. So many that I ask myself these questions over and over again: Why?
As you will have read I have included my own [quick] views. I could spend a lot of time writing more but I believe that those at the hospital are the ones who know the reasons why. Staff go into this profession because they generally care. I wonder how they are feeling when they cannot do their jobs properly due to-lack of time, training, support etc.
I would like to say that there are a tremendous amount of brilliant staff working in the Health and Social Care Sectors who do a fantastic job. Unfortunately there are some, for various reasons, who do not or who are unable to do a fantastic job.
You may be a relative or a friend of the vulnerable person receiving care or in need of care. If you are concerned about them, or their care or treatment, please speak up. Even if everything turns out to be fine, at least you will have raised the issue and made it known that someone is watching out for that person. You may without knowing it have stopped something bad happening. Be observant and learn to recognise the warning signs of neglect and abuse and the risk factors (see www.spcconsultancy.com/abuse.html).
If you have any concerns about care in a care or nursing home, care received at home or in hospital you can do the following:
Contact any of these and discuss your concerns-
Hospital:
-Speak to the ward sister or senior nurse
-You can also talk to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) – every hospital has a PALS office that you can walk into and share concerns
-Ask for a meeting with the manager of the care/nursing home, or the manager of the care agency or the person in charge of the ward
-Ask what they will put in place so it doesn’t happen again
-Ask the individual who has been affected what s/he wants to happen. (it may be best to ask them away from the manager/staff so they can give an objective view and not feel that they have to say what they feel the manager/staff would want them to say.)
-Ask for a copy of the complaints procedure or you may be able to access it from the internet.
You can also leave your hospital experience on this website:
http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/HospitalCommentInput.aspx?searchtype=hospitalcommentsearch
Care or nursing home, care received at home
-Ask for a meeting with the manager of the care/nursing home, or the manager of the care agency
-Ask what they will put in place so it doesn’t happen again
-Ask the individual who has been affected what s/he wants to happen. (it may be best to ask them away from the manager/staff so they can give an objective view and not feel that they have to say what they feel the manager/staff would want them to say.)
-Ask for a copy of the complaints procedure or you may be able to access it from the internet.
You can also leave your experience of care by going on this website and clicking ‘care’ on the right hand side:
http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/HospitalCommentInput.aspx?searchtype=hospitalcommentsearch
For concerns on care homes/care agencies and hospitals you can also contact these:
The Care Quality Commission. Tel: 03000 616161http://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us
Your local Age UK shop/office http://www.ageuk.org.uk/
Your local Healthwatch office http://www.healthwatch.co.uk/
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