Councillors seek answers on report into NHS trust's 'unacceptable saga'

COUNCILLORS have demanded to speak to senior executives at a local NHS trust over an independent report which described its handling of patients’ deaths as an “unacceptable saga”.

Members of Hampshire County Council spoke out after being urged by campaigners to consider more closely the findings of a recent probe into Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, writes Maria Zaccaro of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

As reported in the A&T, Nigel Pascoe QC looked into the deaths of four people between 2012 and 2015.

Reporting back last month, he suggested launching a limited public investigation to review the trust’s response after concluding there had been “significant, serious and deeply regrettable failures” which had caused “real and long-lasting harm”.

Southern Health, based at Tatchbury Mount near Totton, said it had “made significant changes” since the period covered by the report.

The issue came up at a meeting of HCC’s health and adult social care select committee, which was asked to note a Care Quality Commission inspection that in January upgraded the trust’s rating from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’.

But members were urged to look closer at Mr Pascoe’s report by campaigner Geoff Hill, from the Forum for Justice, Accountability and Equality at Southern Health.

Mr Hill, from Marchwood, said: “It is deeply concerning that members are asked to note only the CQC report’s findings and the improved rating of ‘good’.

“Yet members are not asked to note the findings of a truly independent report by an eminent QC. How can members take the CQC report seriously when, simultaneously, an eminent QC recommends a public inquiry into the trust’s current conduct?”

Cllr Alan Dowden urged fellow members to take action, saying: “It worries me. We are the select committee and we must do something.”

Cllr David Harrison asked the committee to make sure that the Southern Health chief executive or the chair of governors would attend a meeting to answer questions. Current chief executive Dr Nick Broughton will leave the trust in May.

The trust provides mental health and community services in Hampshire, and manages hospitals at Lymington, Hythe and Fordingbridge.

Mr Pascoe’s report said there were indications of a “greater willingness throughout the trust to listen and learn from the catastrophic mistakes that were made”.

But he added that what had been presented to him was a “truly deplorable and unacceptable saga”.

When the findings were published, Dr Broughton apologised and accepted the recommendations. He said in a statement: “As an NHS trust it is right and proper that we are held publicly accountable for the quality of our services and our ability to learn and improve.”

Further details on the recommended public inquiry are expected to be released by NHS Improvement, which commissioned the report which into the deaths of Robert Small, David West, Edward Hartley and Marion Munns.

The CQC and the county council were approached for comment.

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