An NHS trust has received a warning notice regarding its utilization of rapid tranquillisation. Inspections conducted in Dartford, Maidstone, and Canterbury hospitals have revealed a decline in the quality of care being provided. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has expressed concerns over staff members’ lack of awareness regarding the potential impact of sedation on patients’ health.
The Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust has affirmed its commitment to enhancing its care and services. In May, inspections were carried out at the acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) at Littlebrook Hospital in Dartford, Priority House in Maidstone, and St Martins Hospital in Canterbury.
As a result of the inspection, a warning notice was issued, urging staff to adhere to local and national recommendations pertaining to monitoring and documenting the physical health of individuals following rapid tranquilisation.
Consequently, the rating for the acute wards for adults of working age and PICU was downgraded from “good” to “requires improvement.”
Serena Coleman, the CQC’s deputy director of operations, acknowledged the efforts of the staff in meeting people’s needs. However, she pointed out that there were instances where records could not be located to justify the necessity of administering certain medications.
Coleman stated, “There were examples where reviews hadn’t happened for long periods, meaning staff couldn’t be sure it was still appropriate to administer to people.” Additionally, it was observed that staff members did not always adhere to the trust’s guidelines when recording the monitoring of patients’ physical health after administering rapid tranquilisation medicines.
Andy Cruickshank, the chief nurse at the trust, emphasized the significance of the inspection’s findings as valuable feedback for improvement. He confirmed that prompt action was taken in response to the CQC’s warning notice regarding rapid tranquilisation, and 93% of the staff had undergone specialized training as a result.
Cruickshank further stated, “Many of the systemic areas identified for improvement were issues we were already working to resolve, and we will continue this work at pace.”
