Sturdee Community Hospital

Leaders placed emphasis upon keeping patients safe from harm and encouraged staff to be open with reporting concerns. Senior staff appropriately investigated incidents and complaints to identify good practice and lessons learnt. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding and had received appropriate training. There was a clear process in place with reporting safeguarding concerns. Staff communicated with external agencies as and when appropriate. The hospital had enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to care for the patients. Although there were some vacancies, managers ensured any gaps were covered by bank or agency staff. The hospital had systems and processes in place for appropriate and safe handling of medicines, which staff generally followed. Where we found gaps in records during the assessment, these had already been identified through medicines audits. Staff had implemented changes to encourage improvement in practice. Staff completed individual patient risk assessments and involved them were possible. Staff updated and reviewed these regularly. Staff had a good understanding of patients’ individual risks and interventions to mitigate and reduce these risks. However, there were a number of patients prescribed enhanced observations and it was evident that this did not always lead to mitigation of risk behaviours. Care records examined did not consistently demonstrate comprehensive reviews had taken place, with the consideration of less restrictive interventions.