Stock-taking

Last week, The Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal published its ‘DETERMINATION: Facts’ relating to Dr Valerie Murphy – Connor Sparrowhawk’s Consultant Psychiatrist at Southern Health the time of his passing in 2013: Read Murphy-FACTS here.

And a graphic description of the experience of the key Tribunal witness, Connor’s Mum, Dr Sara Ryan here – posts dated 7th to 18th August, 2017 – with perhaps more to come.

Coincidentally, Southern Health’s ‘Team Brief June 1917’ came to CRASH’s attention last week, and its new substantive Chair, Lynne Hunt took up her  post on 3 July – so an ideal time for taking stock of improvements in the last four years. Here are some extracts.

 

So, four years’ after Connor’s passing and despite all the highly critical reports, Southern Health remains unsafe for patients – especially vulnerable children, who are at risk of “Significant harm.” It is worth restating:

“Children are at risk caused by inadequate staffing level and IT support systems, which may result in significant harm in the MASH – Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub environment.”

It is difficult to escape the conclusion that operational and financial problems caused by outsourcing 29 beds have their roots even before 2013, when Southern Health used distinctly dodgy statistics to justify closing Woodhaven Hospital. The Trust’s methods were described as “slippery” and Katrina Percy and Dr Lesley Stevens named specifically. Read the parliamentary debate here – Dr Julian Lewis – Hansard 18.04.12.

Encouraging that only 15% of staff had completed their appraisal, compared to 34% at the same time last year! And why does Southern Health only “invite” staff to book an appraisal – I’m sure poorly-performing staff will jump at the chance to be criticised on their record. In the ‘real world’ all staff are told when and where to attend an appraisal.

 

And finally – pass the sick bag.

 

 

 

“We are sad to bid a fond farewell to Lesley Stevens …. “

 

 

Read the full Team Brief here→