After seeing the Trust polishing its bright, shiny, new, Healthcare Commission "Excellent" rating, all over the local media, you might've been forgiven for thinking, that all was rosy in the Trust garden; and that the patients were getting the promised "Best Practice Care and Treatment".
Digging deeper into the report, reveals a different story altogether...
The Trust Says :
"We've been rated among the best NHS Trusts in the country!"
The Healthcare Commission says:
"Services for people with acute mental health problems - Fair"
This is only one step away from the lowest possible rating.
The Trust Says:
"The Secretary of State for Health,..., and the Chair of the Healthcare Commission, Prof Sir Ian Kennedy, sent a personal letter of congratulations to [the], Chief Executive of CPFT, congratulating her and everyone in the Trust on their performance after it received a rating of “excellent” for its services"
The Healthcare Commission says:
"Safety and cleanliness - Waste management - This organisation did not meet the standard of having systems in place to handle and dispose of waste safely to reduce the risks to staff, patients and the public"
The Trust Says:
Karen Bell, Chief Executive of CPFT said: “To be rated among the best NHS trusts nationally is a magnificent achievement and I thank all our dedicated and hard-working staff who have made this possible"
The Healthcare Commission says:
"Standard of care - Experience of patients - Feedback received from patients about their experience of the care they received was below satisfactory levels"
The Trust Says:
Anne Campbell, Chair of the Trust, said “We are delighted with this rating that reflects so much hard work from our staff and a high level of involvement from users and carers in improving the services. Service users and carers can be confident that service quality has improved markedly over the past two years”
The Healthcare Commission says:
"Care Reviews - Worse than Average"
The Secretary of State Said to the Trust:
“Your trust’s services were among the best in the country in 2007/08 and your organisation has also performed well over that time"
The Healthcare Commission says:
"Crisis Care - Worse than Average"
The Secretary of State said to the Trust:
"Your organisation has achieved a level of performance that all trusts should aspire to. May we congratulate you and everyone in your trust on your performance"
The Healthcare Commission says:
"Information and Support for Families and Carers - Worse Than Average"
"Overall Experience - Average"
It is difficult to reconcile the two versions of the state of affairs. Perhaps tellingly, the Trust's Medical Director Dr Tom Dening, found himself compelled to write to all of his patients, explaining basic concepts such as their right to have a copy of their care-plan, their right to have their care reviewed, and that they had a care-coordinator who is responsible for their care.
These things are at the heart of and are the foundation of the mental health care system - yet for a large number of patients, their basic rights have not only been ignored, but they haven't even been told what they are in the first place.
Welcome to the strange, distorted world of the NHS in the 21st Century.
Link to the Trust's celebration.
Enjoy.
That's a cracking post S! I'll be back for more.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there were two... Don't worry Peter, there'll be much, much more.
ReplyDeleteftw.
But not right now, unless ftw wants to sit up all night researching. It's 1am, and I'm off to bed.
ReplyDeleteDidn't believe a word of this until I looked on the HC's website (took ages to find - please include a link in the above!)
ReplyDeleteShocking, why didn't the local press pick up on this?
Anon - 11:05 AM, Have done.
ReplyDeleteThe Hunts Town Crier isn't exactly famous for it's investigative reporting, or for anything other than regurgitating press releases verbatim.
That's why we've all been sold a pig.
I'd say they were a bunch of lazy, gin soaked, disappointed didn't-quite-make-it-to-fleet-street hacks.
ReplyDeleteNo they're the ones running day center ;-)}
ReplyDeleteSorry, should've been:
ReplyDeleteNo, they're the ones running the day centers.