South Yorkshire NHS unit remains closed after safety issues raised

A Sheffield NHS service, which closed in 2021 when it failed to protect vulnerable patients from abuse and neglected their needs, has not yet been deemed safe enough to reopen.

Firshill Rise was closed after a CQC inspection found issues with safety at the seven-bed unit.  Inspectors found staff ignored requests from patients for food and drink, as well as safeguarding concerns designed to protect people from abuse.

The care watchdog banned the admission of new patients unless it had given written permission.  It said “The service was not safe with concerns about staffing skills and training, medications management and safeguarding”.

A report before Sheffield City Council’s health scrutiny sub-committee will look at what has been learned from the serious failures found at the unit.

The CQC inspectors found management systems were poor, patients and relatives were not involved in care planning and patients stayed too long on the unit.

The NHS trust apologised for the failures and a review took place of the leadership of the learning disability service.

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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