CQC finds improvement needed in mental health services run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

A government watchdog has found a service that provides mental health care to those in crisis needs to improve.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found improvements are needed following an inspection of the mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust in August last year, which looks after patients from the Fenland area.

The inspection sees the service’s overall rating decline from good to requires improvement.

Inspectors visited the service which is spread across the 136 Suite and crisis and resolution home treatment teams in Fulbourn Hospital in Cambridge; the Cavell Centre in Peterborough, and the First Response Service based in Huntingdon.

The inspection was prompted by information of concern CQC received including a lack of action responding to concerns raised by staff, ongoing risks, and low staffing levels.

Following this inspection, the service’s overall rating has dropped from good to requires improvement, as have the ratings for being safe and well-led. It has been re-rated as good again for being caring, effective and responsive.

The trust’s overall rating remains rated as good.

Stuart Dunn, CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, said: “Although we found compassionate and committed staff providing responsive care, leaders need to address systemic challenges to ensure services are consistently safe and well-managed.

“Despite some of these issues, staff put people at the centre of their care. People told us they felt listened to, involved in decisions about their treatment and supported by staff who tailored care to their individual needs. Staff made reasonable adjustments to support people’s wellbeing and communicated effectively with families and partner organisations.

“However, leaders need to do more to address the risks caused by staff shortages and high sickness rates. This has put significant pressure on teams and forced managers to rely on temporary staff who may not know people’s needs and preferences as well, to fill shifts.

“While leaders did debrief staff after incidents, they didn’t have a clear system for sharing lessons or identifying trends across the trust to prevent them from happening again.

“We’ve shared our findings with the trust, so they know where improvements are needed, and we’ll continue to monitor them closely, including through future inspections, to ensure people are safe whilst this happens.”

Inspectors also found:

• Lone-working arrangements were inconsistent, and some staff lacked access to panic alarms or check-in apps, requiring them to call the office in case of emergencies.

• Management processes were not fully effective, particularly those ensuring all staff were up to date with mandatory training and appraisals.

• Staff felt disconnected from the trust's senior leadership team.

However:

• The First Response Service was responsive, with most callers experiencing minimal waiting times, though some reported longer waits on weekends.

• The trust had measures in place to ensure leaders and managers had the necessary qualifications, skills, training, and competencies for their roles.

• Staff worked well with other parts of the organisation and worked in partnership with external organisations.

The full report can be found on the CQC’s website.