England’s chief inspector of hospitals has found that the services provided by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust have improved following the latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
Two years ago, CQC rated the Trust as ‘Requires Improvement’ after inspectors identified significant variation in the quality of its services.
As a result of the latest inspection in January 2017, the Trust has been rated as ‘Good’ overall, and ‘Outstanding’ for being caring. Safety is rated ‘Requires Improvement’.
Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust is one of the largest mental health trusts in England. It provides services across the area of Kent and Medway to a population of 1.7 million people.
CQC’s deputy chief inspector of hospitals (and lead for mental health), Dr Paul Lelliott, said: “I am pleased to report that our latest inspection has found evidence of real improvement for the people who rely on these services. It is clear that the Trust had taken feedback from our previous inspection and responded positively to the concerns we raised.
“We found a number of improvements had taken place. For example previously we found the Trust did not take appropriate measures to ensure patients were protected against the risks associated with the unsafe management of medicines. At this inspection there was significant improvement in this area. The Trust had also implemented methods for patients and carers to provide feedback about Trust services and there were examples of where improvements had been made in response to this feedback.
“Throughout the inspection we met with dedicated staff who were committed to their roles. Staff were compassionate, kind and respectful of patients and their families. In all 10 core services, we rated caring as ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’.
“We will continue to monitor the Trust and our inspectors will return at a later date to check on its progress.”
