CQC takes enforcement action following inspection of Leeds and York mental health wards

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded the long stay and rehabilitation mental health wards for working-age adults at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to Requires Improvement following an inspection carried out on 10 and 11 March.

Inspectors visited all three wards within the service as part of the CQC’s ongoing monitoring programme:

• Asket Croft
• Asket House
• Newsam Centre Ward

During the inspection, the CQC identified four breaches of regulations relating to safe care and treatment, premises and equipment, good governance and staffing. As a result, the regulator issued the trust with a Warning Notice, requiring immediate action to address the most significant concerns.

Following the inspection, the Safe, Effective and Well-led domains were all rated Requires Improvement. Effective was downgraded from Good, while Caring and Responsive remained Good.

Inspectors identified several concerns about the condition of the wards and the systems in place to keep people safe. These included damaged and poorly maintained bedrooms, blocked sinks and toilets, a bedroom without running water, and environmental issues that meant basic infection prevention and control standards were not consistently met.

The CQC also found the trust did not have up-to-date fire risk assessments, despite a previous assessment identifying Asket Croft as presenting a major fire risk.

Staff training was another area of concern. Inspectors found there was no evidence of specialist rehabilitation mental health training, while some staff had not completed mandatory training in areas including fire safety, immediate life support and physical intervention.

The inspection also identified weaknesses in care planning, with records not always kept up to date and no reliable system in place to monitor when care plans had been reviewed. The CQC found this could affect whether people consistently received care that reflected their current needs.

Inspectors also concluded that safeguarding processes were not being managed effectively, creating a risk that concerns about abuse or harm may not always be identified or acted upon appropriately.

Despite these findings, the CQC reported examples of positive practice. Staff were observed treating people with dignity and respect, providing emotional support and practical advice when required. People also had access to information in different languages, with interpreting and signing services available to support communication where needed.

The report also found staff supported people preparing to leave hospital by planning for their individual needs to help ensure a safe transition back into the community.

Separately, the CQC noted that inspections carried out in February of the trust’s acute wards for working-age adults and psychiatric intensive care units, as well as wards for older people with mental health problems, also resulted in both services being downgraded from Good to Requires Improvement overall.

The regulator said it will continue to monitor the trust’s progress as it responds to the concerns identified during the inspections.

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