Health trust is improving, says report

The Care Quality Commission inspected Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust in September after it was served a warning notice this year.

The three-day inspection found the much-criticised trust had taken action to meet the requirements set out in the notice. This included identifying and prioritising risks arising from the physical environment more effectively – including ligature anchor points and falling from heights.

And inspectors found clearer processes in place to ensure the trust assessed the risks. But there were still some areas of concern that the CQC said needed more work including specific sites like Elmleigh, in Havant.

Richard West, from Park Gate, lost his 28-year-old son, David West, to a drugs overdose three years ago while he was under the care of Southern Health.

He said: ‘The engagement with patients and relatives has been loads better than it’s previously been.

‘We have had meetings with the interim chief executive who is much more engaging.’

Julie Dawes, interim chief executive of Southern Health, said: ‘The CQC has recognised improvements have been made and I would like to thank all our staff for their hard work and commitment to patients, service users and families in improving standards of care.

‘We are not complacent and do not underestimate the work we need to do to restore confidence in our services among our communities.’

As previously reported in The News, a damning report into the trust said it had failed to investigate the deaths of hundreds of patients sparking calls for chief executive Katrina Percy to step down.

She eventually resigned in October following the resignation of interim chairman Tim Smart.