Inspectors say a secure Nottinghamshire psychiatric hospital which has housed some of the country’s most dangerous patients ‘requires improvement’ and has a staff shortage.
Rampton Hospital, near the village of Woodbeck between Retford and Rampton, deals with more than 300 patients detained under the Mental Health Act.
A visit by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission says the hospital is rated ‘good’ for being caring and responsive, ‘requires improvement’ for being safe and effective, and ‘inadequate’ for being well-led.
But it rated the hospital as ‘requires improvement’ overall following an inspection in March.
The commission also highlighted a staffing shortage – with some members of staff working alone at night.
And a lack of staff on shift in the day meant duties were often cancelled.
Inspectors also say staff did not follow legal requirements, outlined under the Mental Health Act Code of Practice, to consistently review patients in long-term segregation, as some of them had no regular access to fresh air.
The hospital is run by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
The commission’s deputy chief inspector of hospitals, Dr Paul Lelliott, said: “At the time of the inspection, the hospital was experiencing a high rate of staff turnover.
“The resulting shortage of staff meant that safety to both patients and staff was at times compromised. It was not uncommon for there to be only one staff member on duty on a ward at night. This breached the trust policy and was potentially unsafe.”
The annual turnover rate for qualified staff in 2016 was 9.6 per cent and in February there were 39 qualified nurses at the hospital – 10 per cent short of the recommended number.
And between September 2016 and February 2017 there were 120 instances when one member of staff worked alone on a ward at night.
Rampton Hospital is one of three high-secure hospitals in England and had 357 beds and 315 patients at the time of inspection.
The hospital has 26 wards divided into five services – for women, patients with learning disabilities, those who are deaf, and for mentally ill patients with personality disorders.
According to the inspection, all staff groups reported ‘low morale’ and not feeling confident in raising concerns for fear of reprisal.
Dr Lelliott added: “The trust knows what it needs to do to make sure the necessary improvements are made and we will return in due course to check on its progress.”
A statement from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust read: “We are disappointed about the inadequate rating for leadership in the hospital as the senior team in place is working hard to improve staffing and morale.
“The trust is pleased that the services at Rampton Hospital achieved the rating of good for caring. The care afforded to patients by our staff has delivered improved recovery and outcomes for people with the greatest level of need.
“We will look closely at the final report and have already implemented changes which are making a considerable difference to the staffing issues raised. We are confident that the good work that the inspectors saw during their visit including physical health and violence reduction will continue to improve the service provided by the hospital.”
