Patients self harmed at hospital A&E, reports finds

Patients with mental health conditions were able to able to harm themselves with items from a hospital's emergency department, the health watchdog has found.

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital said safety issues at the department "had persisted" since its previous inspection.

It re-rated the urgent and emergency care at the hospital as "requires improvement" following the inspection in July.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust said it accepted the findings and was "working hard to embed sustained improvement" at the department.

The CQC carried out the inspection of the emergency department after receiving concerns about staffing levels and the environment for people experiencing mental health conditions.

It said inspectors found patients "weren't always receiving care in a safe environment", with people experiencing mental heath crises particularly at risk.

It highlighted exposed pipework, accessible oxygen tubing that posed a ligature risk, and unlocked rooms containing sharp equipment.

Catherine Campbell, CQC's deputy director of operations in Hampshire, said: "Despite incidents in which people had used items within the department to harm themselves, the service hadn't taken effective action to reduce these risks."

"Staff hadn't always completed mandatory training in critical areas such as resuscitation and life support. This resulted in gaps in clinical competence that could impact people's care during emergencies."

The report also praised staff for "kind and compassionate care" and found waiting times and waiting in corridors had been reduced by the introduction of earlier assessments by senior doctors.

"While the trust has made some improvements, more work is needed to ensure people consistently receive safe and effective care," Campbell added.

In a statement, Hampshire Hospitals' chief nurse, Julie Dawes apologised to patients and said the rating was "very disappointing".

"The CQC reflects the significant and growing pressures faced across the wider health and care system particularly in relation mental health patients, and we are firmly committed to improving our own standards of care in this area."

It said work was also going on to upgrade the department.

"These improvements make better use of space, enhance the environment for patients and staff, and strengthen the provision of safe and appropriate facilities for patients with mental health needs," it added.

A new hospital is currently planned for north and mid-Hampshire, as is a major refurbishment at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

A recent National Audit office suggested the rebuild would not start until 2039 and it would not open until 2045.

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