Wednesday 4 June 2008

Referrals to the HCC



Two outstanding referrals to the Healthcare Commission were reported on in the current Performance Report.
Action requested for the first case:

That the trust reviews its current practice in relation to the CPA, with the view to ensuring that it complies with the guidance set out by the Department of Health. In making these recommendations, expectations are that the trust should pay particular attention to:
The date of the next CPA review, which should be recorded in the service user’s case notes before they are discharged home from hospital.
The CPA care co-ordinator should take the lead in drawing up the service user’s CPA care plans and should attend the CPA review meetings.
CPA care planning should be comprehensive with all needs included in care planning.
Service users should be informed about the CPA and fully involved in drawing up their care plans and participating in a CPA review. They should be asked to sign their care plan and be given a copy of it.

Interesting to me, this one. I was not provided with a copy of my CPA on request. I had, in fact, no CPA for over a year with my first CMHT. I signed and returned the copy of my CPA which was eventually provided - but it was ommitted from my clinical notes with that CMHT (although a copy was included in the notes held by the psychiatric team, which I sent to them at the same time). The contents of the CPA were largely ignored by my then team.
Masses of work is stated to have been undertaken with regard to CPA planning over the last 12 months. Much of it seems to have had little effect.

"Throughout the HCC’s review of the case, our adviser found it difficult to decipher the notes provided with many entries being illegible. The adviser has recommended that the Trust reviews it current record keeping policies so that they are in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Guidance for Records and Record Keeping January 2005."
I have registered my concerns regarding my own notes with BLPT. Some entries bear no connection to what actually happened; some are derogatory and some are irrelevant to my care. Most do not follow the guidelines of the Nursing and Midwifery Council. I must say, this is not the case with my current CMHT - they have provided me with copies of all notes made, which have always been professional, thorough and based on consultation with me. Oh, the difference this makes!

2 comments:

theMuddledMarketPlace said...

...which all goes to show that it Can be good!

( and when it's not, please don't be surprised if we get upset...)

Disillusioned said...

Yes, MMP, it can. And it should be. And if it is not, apologies should be offered without making people jump through hoops!


I have nothing but praise tfor my current CMHT. They have been unfailingly supportive and made sure the help I needed was available. The saddest thing is that the ethos in my previous team was so different. Thus the supportive CMHN I did have within that team seemed to be a lone voice, and in her absence the "true colours" were revealed.