Dr Clive Peedell NHA Party.
September 26, 2014
“The Care Quality Commission has flagged up serious concerns about care quality, management and culture at the UK’s only privately run NHS hospital.
According to an article in the Health Service Journal: “The regulator’s concerns about Hinchingbrooke Health Care Trust include allegations of patients being treated in an “undignified and emotionally abusive manner”, hygiene failures, staffing problems and “a blame approach”. They were raised in a letter sent by the regulator to the trust this week, outlining “early feedback” from an inspection which took place between 15 and 18 September. Hinchingbrooke is run under franchise by private health provider Circle Health. It is the only NHS trust run in this way and is seen by some as an example which should be followed. The CQC’s letter, sent on 23 September, alleged a range of serious concerns. These include: instances of “poor care provided to patients”, including patients who “lacked the capacity to consent” being sedated and staff treating patients in an “undignified and emotionally abusive manner.”
Here’s the reaction of Dr Clive Peedell:
““Despite all the rhetoric and PR about Hinchingbrooke being a shining example of how the private sector can improve the running and management of an NHS hospital, the reality is very different.
This report lists a whole catalogue of failings, from emotionally abusive patient care to poor medical practice. It also highlights a blame culture making it hard for staff to raise concerns. Circle is notorious for bullying staff and poor handling of concerns about care. The front line staff are NHS and in a recent official survey, they rated Hinchingbrooke amongst the worst in the NHS on key measures.
The catalogue of failures is sad but hardly surprising in a privately-managed hospital with its focus on putting profits before patients. Circle have been grasping for profits by squeezing staff costs. So far, they have yet to make a profit, but the price is being paid in poorer patient care.”
“This report comes on top of a recent one highlighting the financial mess that Circle is in. It’s possible that Circle may end up walking away from the mess as a get-out clause will be triggered once it has put in £5 million of its own money to prop up this failing venture. Then where will local people be left?
This is a first class shambles – and a stark warning of the risks of involving the private sector in the NHS.”
http://nhap.org/privately-run-hinchingbrooke-hospital-accused-abusive-behaviour-hygiene-failures/
ukgovernmentwatch 