NHS hospitals unable to carry out urgent repairs or upgrade facilities are putting patient safety at risk, according to NHS Providers.
Two-thirds of NHS mental health trusts in England are underfunded to the point they are unable to invest in urgent repairs or upgrade their facilities.
Despite the Care Quality Commission (CQC) warning that dormitory-style wards do not support people’s privacy or dignity, there are still 350 dormitory-style wards in use across the NHS in England. Furthermore, in the last three years, more than one in five trusts have faced enforcement action from the CQC over the condition of facilities and the impact on quality and safety of patient care.
A survey of mental health trust leaders, however, shows that the majority of trusts will not be able to access enough capital funding to meet their needs.
Full story in Nursing Notes, 21 February 2020