The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Barnsley Hospice in Church Street, Barnsley inadequate and placed it in special measures, after it found a number of significant issues that risked patient safety.

CQC carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection at Barnsley Hospice, run by Barnsley Hospice Appeal, in April and May after receiving information of concern regarding the quality of care they were providing to patients.

Due to the issues found, the hospice has been issued three warning notices relating to the safe care and treatment of patients, their capacity to safeguard patients from abuse and improper treatment, and the overall management of the service.

Following the inspection, Barnsley Hospice was rated inadequate for being safe, responsive and well led. Requires improvement for being effective and good for being caring. Overall, it has been rated as inadequate and has been placed into special measures. At the last inspection it was rated good overall.

Sarah Dronsfield, CQC's head of hospital inspection, said:

'When we inspected Barnsley Hospice, we were not assured that patients were receiving the safe care and treatment they deserve.

'We were concerned to find that only serious incidents were investigated. Recurring incidents, such as falls, were not prevented, or the risk reduced, because staff did not fully investigate them. We found that processes for sharing important information were unclear and did not ensure that staff learnt from incidents that took place.

'We found that leaders did not ensure that staff kept up to date with all necessary training to keep patients safe.

'Patients had to wait an unacceptable amount of time to access the service. Also, leaders did not explore how the service could meet the wider needs of the local population or understand how to promote inclusion.

'We have issued three warning notices to Barnsley Hospice to help provide focus upon the areas where improvements must be made. We will continue to monitor the service closely and return in the next six months to check on progress.

'The safe care and treatment of people using services is our highest priority and they deserve safe, effective high-quality care. We will always take action where appropriate to protect the health and safety of patients.'

Inspectors found:

• Staff did not have training in key skills, did not understand how to protect patients from abuse, and did not manage safety well
• The service did not always control infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to patients and acted on them but did not always keep good care records. They did not always manage medicines well. Records were not clear or complete
• The service did not manage safety incidents well and did not learn lessons from them. When things went wrong staff did not apologise or give patients honest information or suitable support
• Managers did not monitor the effectiveness of the service well and did not make sure staff were competent for their roles by providing support and development including making sure they understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act
• The service did not plan care to meet the needs of local people, did not take account of patients' individual needs, and was not always inclusive. The service did not make it easy for people to give feedback
• People could not always access the service when they needed it and had to wait for treatment
• Leaders did not run services well using reliable information systems and did not support staff to develop their skills
• Not all staff felt respected, supported and valued.

However:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe
• Staff provided good care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families and carers
• Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information
• Staff were focused on the needs of patients receiving care and were clear about their roles and accountabilities.

Full details of the inspection are given in the report published on our website.

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