Safety improvements required at New Craigs hospital
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Concerns for patients and staff have prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to issue NHS Highland with an improvement notice for New Craigs hospital in Inverness.
Inspectors stated: "You have failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in your employment, namely the adult acute mental health in-patient group are not exposed to risks to their health or safety in that; you have failed to remove identified ligature points from areas on the wards where patients may be isolated (such as bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms).
"You have failed to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of your employees in that; you have failed to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to staff at that may be exposed to violence at work."
NHS Highland received the improvement notice in December.
A spokeswoman for the health board stated: "We work closely with the HSE to continuously improve patient and staff safety, and to ensure risks identified are reduced. The safety of both patients and staff is paramount to continue delivery of high-quality services.
"The HSE identified existing fixtures in the ward that could be used by patients to harm themselves. Work has started to remove some of these risks and further work is planned.
"Health and safety systems and training practices have been improved and implemented to ensure that all staff receive the training that they require to ensure the provision of safe care to vulnerable patients."
