The Specialist Wiltshire NHS Funded Hospital has been Rated “Inadequate”

A specialist NHS-funded hospital which cares for people with neurological conditions has been judged "inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission who said in its report that the hospital did not "meet legal requirements relating to safe care".

The South Newton Hospital in Salisbury, Wiltshire which is run by private firm Renovo Care, provides NHS-funded services for up to 17 patients. The hospital has responded to the report saying it was committed to making "swift and sustainable improvements"

The CQC report was based on a scheduled inspection in January following concerns about ongoing risks since the hospital, since it was registered in 2020, was yet to have undergone a comprehensive inspection.

'Safeguarding Concerns'

In the report, the overall rating for the hospital was "inadequate" as well as being "inadequate for being safe and well-led". In the other criteria, caring was rated as "good" while responding to people's needs was rated as requiring improvement.

The CQC also stated that the Hospital was too understaffed to meet the needs of patients while adding that the hospital must improve in its services.

Cath Campbell, CQC's head of hospital inspection, said that although staff were focused on patients’ needs, there were concerns about how the service was being run. She also added that "Leaders didn't effectively investigate or share learning from incidents that occurred and make recommendations to reduce the risk of similar incidents happening again".

Additionally, she said that the service at the hospital did not recognize concerns as regards safeguarding health of patients and make appropriate reports on them. For instance, it was reported that a person complained that a member of staff removed a whistle which was their primary mode of calling when they need help.

CQC inspectors also expressed concerns that the hospital was not doing enough to protect their patients from the risk of being infected with Covid-19.

It observed that staff were not using enhanced personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves for patients undergoing certain procedures such as clearing a patient’s airway.

'Number Of Improvements'

Cath Campbell also expressed concerns that the hospital had not considered the additional challenges of finding out the symptoms of Covid-19 such as loss of taste or smell especially in patients who have brain injuries or other neurological disabilities. She added that the provider has been informed of their findings, areas of improvements and that the commission will continue to monitor the hospital to ensure that the improvements are made.

In their report, the CQC said that the hospital failed to "meet legal requirements relating to safe care and treatment, infection control, safeguarding and good governance".

A spokesperson for Renovo Care while acknowledging the feedback said that it was pleased that the service was rated “good” in its caring service while also expressing their disappointment with the overall rating and went on to make assurances that swift and sustainable improvements will be made.

Making Brain Injury Compensation Claims As A Result Of Hospital Negligence

Every hospital or healthcare establishment along with its staff is expected to ensure an appropriate standard of healthcare service delivery to their patients. They need not show any form of negligence as they are dealing with people's lives and any form of negligent treatment can be fatal.

This is why our firm is committed to ensuring that victims of medical negligence get the best form of legal representation they need and are well compensated for the unnecessary pain, injury or complications they have suffered. Additionally, to ensure that families who have lost loved ones as a result of hospital negligence get the justice they deserve.

We undertake brain injury compensation claims for our clients on a No Win No Fee basis which means that you do not have to hesitate to make your claims since you will suffer no form of financial risk.

Contact us today or fill out our online free claims assessment form and we will schedule a free consultation session with you to discuss your claims.