WARDS for people with a learning disability or autism run by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) have been given a 'requires improvement' rating by the official regulator following an inspection.

The trust has nine wards that provide care to adults with learning disabilities and/or autistic people at Rose Lodge in Hebburn, Carleton Clinic in Carlisle, and Northgate Hospital in Morpeth.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected eight of these wards in May as one was closed to improve staffing levels across the other wards.

The regulator found staff "did not receive the right training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs", and said "the use of restrictive interventions was high and there was a high proportion of prone restraint".

The CQC added it was "not always clear in some peoples’ records the reason why they had been initially prescribed anti-psychotic medicines".

However, they said people received "kind and compassionate care from staff who protected and respected their privacy and dignity and understood each person’s individual needs".

They also found people using the service provided "mostly positive feedback on their care" and that most carers told them that they felt their relative was safe and received support from staff that knew them well.

In April and May this year, the CQC carried out a focused inspection of Rose Lodge and issued two requirement notices. But at this inspection, the action in relation to physical health monitoring and staffing had been met for Rose Lodge.

Debbie Ivanova, CQC’s director for people with learning disabilities and autistic people, said: “When inspectors visited the wards for people with a learning disability or autistic people, they found leaders were visible and approachable and worked flexibly to understand the service, support staff and meet people’s needs. Also, staff felt respected and supported by managers and colleagues.

“However, it was concerning that there wasn’t enough staff on Cheviot ward to keep people safe and meet their needs. People told us that when they were short-staffed, they couldn’t do their planned activities and therapies which was disappointing for them."

She added: “Additionally, not all seclusion rooms were fit for purpose. On four wards, people didn’t have access to a nurse call alarm system. There were issues with regulating noise and the temperature on some wards, and three wards had accessibility issues due to stairs.

"Also, on Lindisfarne ward, people in seclusion didn’t have privacy and dignity as other staff not involved in their care, regularly entered the seclusion area which people found disruptive and had an impact on their wellbeing. The trust had acknowledged these environmental issues and were building new wards to improve medium secure wards.

“Although most of the feedback about the service was good, improvements are needed across the wards to improve patient care. Leaders know what action they must take, and we will return to check on progress.”

James Duncan, Chief Executive at CNTW, said: “We welcome the report and fully accept its findings.

“We will respond positively to the findings with actions to address all concerns. We have already put in place actions to address environmental concerns, through the development of purpose-built facilities for many of these wards, which will open early in 2023.  

“We are very clear about the actions we need to take as an organisation, but I am pleased that the report recognises the kind and compassionate care given by our staff. The last two years have presented challenges that we have never seen before, and the teams across our services have done so much to rise to those challenges.

“I am pleased that the CQC recognised that we have addressed previous must do actions across these wards which is a huge testament to the responsiveness of the service to concerns raised and their ability to act decisively.

“While I give my full assurance that we recognise and will take action to ensure that the concerns identified in this report are addressed, I am proud and grateful to the teams working across these wards for their dedication in providing compassionate, person-centred care in often difficult circumstances.”