North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust 2023

Sent on behalf of Deputy Director of Governance

 

 

Dear Wendy

 

Freedom of Information Act Request

 

I am writing in response to your e-mail of the 17th September 2024. Your request has been processed using the Trust’s procedures for the disclosure of information under the Freedom of Information Act (2000).

 

Requested information:

Please provide Electro Convulsive Treatment (ECT) information under the FOI act to the following questions: -

  1. Please supply patient’s information ECT leaflet. Please see Appendix 1 attached.
  2. Please supply patient ECT consent form. Please see Appendix 2 attached.
  3. Please supply any ECT reports/investigations. There are no reports/ investigations
  4. How many ECT in 2023? 20
  5. What proportion of patients were men/ women? 17 female, 3 male
  6. How old were they? Ages range from 40 - 85
  7. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")? None
  8. How many people covered by the equality act received ECT? None
  9. How many people were offered talking therapy prior to ECT? 20
  10. How many were receiving ECT for the first time? 10
  11. How many patients consented to ECT? 6
  12. How many ECT complaints were investigated outside the NHS and CCG? 0
  13. How many patients died during or 1 month after ECT and what was the cause (whether or not ECT was considered the cause)? 0
  14. How many patients died within 6 months after ECT and what was the cause (whether or not ECT was considered the cause)? 0
  15. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving ECT (whether or not ECT was considered the cause)? 0
  16. How many patients have suffered complications during and after ECT and what were those complications? 0
  17. Have there been any formal complaints from patients/relatives about ECT? No
  18. If so, what was their concerns? N/A
  19. How many patients report memory loss/loss of cognitive function? 1
  20. What tests are used to assess memory loss/ loss of cognitive function? The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA)
  21. Have MRI or CT scans been used before and after ECT? No
  22. If so, what was the conclusion? N/A
  23. How does the Trust plan to prevent ECT in the future? ECT is a first line of treatment for severe depression. This is supported by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The Trust has no plans to stop ECT

 

Please provide restraints information under the FOI act to the following questions: -

  1. Please supply any Restraints/investigations.
  2. How many RESTRAINTS in 2023? 788 between April 2023- March 2024
  3. What proportion of patients were men/ women? 423 female, 357 Male, 6 Other, 2 Unidentifiable
  4. How old were they? Ages range from 12-89. Please note there was 364 instances where patient’s age was not recorded
  5. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")? 75. There was also 7 unknown and 9 not stated
  6. How many people covered by the equality act were restrained? Data not collected
  7. How many RESTRAINTS were investigated outside the NHS and CCG? The Trust does not hold this data
  8. How many patients died during or 1 month after RESTRAINTS and what was the cause (whether or not RESTRAINTS was considered the cause)? The Trust does not hold this data
  9. How many patients died within 6 months after RESTRAINTS and what was the cause (whether or not RESTRAINTS was considered the cause)? The Trust does not hold this data
  10. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving RESTRAINTS (whether or not RESTRAINTS was considered the cause)? The Trust does not hold this data
  11. How many patients have suffered complications during and after RESTRAINTS and what were those complications? The Trust does not hold this data
  12. Have there been any formal complaints from patients/relatives about RESTRAINTS? No
  13. If so, what was their concerns? N/A
  14. Are counts of forced injections available? If this in relation to Rapid Tranquilisation, then yes
  15. How does the Trust plan to reduce restraints in the future?
  • The Trust has a Reducing restrictive practices strategy, which is due for Review this year.
  • The Trust has a reducing restrictive practices group with attendance from all directorates.
  • The Trust provide safety intervention training for staff on the use of physical holding to ensure that staff utilise the least restrictive option and ensuring that it is proportionate to the risk.

 

Please provide SECLUSION information under the FOI act to the following questions: -

  1. Please supply any SECLUSION reports/investigations.
  2. How many SECLUSIONS in 2023? 43
  3. What proportion of patients were men/women? 17 female, 26 male
  4. How old were they? Ages range from 12-42. Please note there was 17 instances where patient’s age was not recorded
  5. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")?
  6. How many people covered by the Equality Act were secluded? Data not collected
  7. How many SECLUSIONS were investigated outside the NHS and CCG? The Trust does not hold this data
  8. How many patients died during or 1 month after SECLUSION and what was the cause (whether or not SECLUSION was considered the cause)? The Trust does not hold this data
  9. How many patients died within 6 months after SECLUSION and what was the cause (whether or not SECLUSION was considered the cause)? The Trust does not hold this data
  10. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving SECLUSION (whether or not SECLUSION was considered the cause)? The Trust does not hold this data
  11. How many patients have suffered complications during and after SECLUSION and what were those complications? The Trust does not hold this data
  12. Have there been any formal complaints from patients/relatives about SECLUSION? No
  13. If so, what was their concerns? N/A
  14. How does the Trust plan to reduce SECLUSIONS in the future?
  • The Trust has a Reducing restrictive practices strategy, which is due for Review this year.
  • The Trust has a reducing restrictive practices group with attendance from all directorates.
  • The Trust provide safety intervention training for staff on the use of physical holding to ensure that staff utilise the least restrictive option and ensuring that it is proportionate to the risk.

 

Please provide MEDICATION ERRORS information under the FOI act to the following questions: -

  1. Please supply any MEDICATION ERRORS reports/investigations
  2. How many MEDICATION ERRORS in 2023? 217
  3. What proportion of patients were men/ women? 98 Female,  119 Male
  4. How old were they? Ages range from 11 to 94
  5. What proportion of patients were classified people of the global majority or racialised communities ("POC / BAME")? 16
  6. How many people covered by the equality act endured medication errors? Data not collected
  7. How many MEDICATION ERRORS were investigated outside the NHS and CCG? 0
  8. How many patients died during or 1 month after MEDICATION ERRORS and what was the cause (whether or not MEDICATION ERRORS was considered the cause)? Data not collected
  9. How many patients died within 6 months after MEDICATION ERRORS and what was the cause (whether or not MEDICATION ERRORS was considered the cause)? Data not collected
  10. How many patients died by suicide within 6 months of receiving MEDICATION ERRORS (whether or not MEDICATION ERRORS was considered the cause)? Data not collected
  11. How many patients have suffered complications during and after MEDICATION ERRORS and what were those complications? All patients have extra physical health checks following a medication incident.  There have been five incidents where the following issues have been reported:

Mild Lithium toxicity, mild stomach discomfort, precautionary additional blood tests, distress. 

  1. Have there been any formal complaints from patients/relatives about MEDICATION ERRORS? No
  2. If so, what was their concerns? N/A
  3. How does the Trust plan to prevent MEDICATION ERRORS in the future?
  • All staff who handle medicines must follow the medicines policy and are provided with training on this.
  • Pharmacists and Pharmacy technicians are an integral part of teams and work to ensure medicines are prescribed, administered and stored safely.
  • The Trust works with local networks of Medicines Safety Officers to share intelligence on errors and to educate staff on patterns nationally.
  • Quality Improvement project on addressing medication errors in inpatient settings is being led by the Acute and Urgent Care Quality Improvement Lead.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review of the management of your request. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: Dr Buki Adeyemo, Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust, Trust Headquarters, Lawton House, Bellringer Road, Trentham, ST4 8HH.  If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Nicola Griffiths

Deputy Director of Governance