A private mental health facility has been ordered to make improvements after staff told a distressed woman to “stop crying” after giving expired medication to patients.
Cygnet Kenney House, in Wester Hill Road, Oldham, Greater Manchester, has been warned by health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for failing to comply with regulations around safe care.
Inspectors found problems with staffing levels, incident response capabilities and medication management.
A spokesman for Cygnet Kenney House said the facility had developed a “comprehensive” improvement plan following the visit in September.
During the visit, CQC inspectors discovered some prescription medicines had been out of stock for more than a week and one patient was given expired medication, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
“During the assessment we found that the provider did not deploy sufficient qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to keep service users safe,” the report reads.
“Staff not helpful”
Patients on the Harbourne ward, a highly female-dependent recovery ward with seven patients, told inspectors they “didn’t feel safe” and staff “seemed too busy to talk”.
They said staff’s response to patients was “not always helpful” and one staff member was recorded telling a distressed patient to “stop crying, you’re making me sad”.
At the Baldock ward, which provides acute care for up to 16 women, and the 12-bed Billington ward, staff did not record food and fluid intake correctly and some were kept under observation for longer shifts than recommended.
Two of the seven patients interviewed by inspectors said staff did not respond quickly when they were in pain or needed help, and another patient said she waited more than three hours to ask for leave.
Three patients said staff treated them well and behaved appropriately towards them.
“Patient safety is our top priority and we take providing safe care very seriously,” said Jennifer Healey, Cygnet Kenney House Hospital Manager.
“Our comprehensive improvement plan focuses specifically on managing the risk of sterilization, strengthening medicines management and improving staff training.”
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