Issue - meetings

The Panel considered the report providing the Panel with the requested update on Southern Health's progress implementing the improvement plan and feedback from regulators.

Dr Lesley Stevens, Medical Director and Professor Kingdon from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, John Richards - Chief Officer NHS Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Councillor Pope and Denise Wyatt (resident) were in attendance and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

The Chair noted that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had given advance notice of the publication of their report into Southern Health. It also was noted that the Chair of the Foundation Trust had tendered their resignation shortly after the advance notice of the CQC report had been circulated.

The Chair stated that at the time of the meeting the details of the CQC report had been embargoed from general publication.  However, the Chair advised that the Panel had been circulated the accompanying press release to the report, which whilst similarly embargoed from release did highlight a number of concerns.  The CQC report found that:

·  The Trust had not put in place robust governance arrangements to investigate incidents, including deaths;

·  Effective arrangements had not been put in place to identify, record or respond to concerns about patient safety raised by patients, their carers, staff or by the CQC;

·  Inspectors had serious concerns about the safety of patients with mental health problems and learning disabilities in some of the locations inspected; and

·  Overall, the Trust’s governance arrangements did not facilitate effective, proactive, timely management of risk. Where action was taken by the Trust to mitigate risk, this was delayed and mainly done in response to concerns raised by the CQC.

It was noted that NHS Improvement had appointed an Improvement Director to the Trust. 

Councillor Pope addressed the meeting and presented a motion to the Panel seeking its endorsement.  The Panel considered the motion and agreed that matters raised were extremely serious and of concern to the Panel.  It was noted that the Panel had not had the opportunity to examine the CQC report therefore Panel Members declined to endorse the tabled motion. 

The Panel acknowledged that urgent action was required to resolve the issues identified by the CQC and stated that this item would be referred to the first meeting of the next municipal year and that every effort should be made to ensure that appropriate officers from the Trust and the regulator, NHS Improvement, be present.

RESOLVED that the matter return to the Panel’s first meeting of the municipal year and that every effort be taken to ensure that the appropriate and relevant officers from the trust and regulator are in attendance.