Seventeen members of staff have been suspended at a hospital that treats young people with mental health needs.
It follows reports of some nurses and healthcare assistants used non-approved techniques to move patients to Middlesbrough West Lane hospital. Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust said they have taken the allegations very seriously. It has launched an investigation which is also being overseen by the Care Quality Commission and NHS England.
Concerns were raised in November about West Lane Hospital’s Westwood centre which offers low secure adolescent inpatient accommodation to young people aged 12 to 18. They centred around claims staff used techniques for moving patients which were “not taught and not in line with trust policy”.
Additional staff have been temporarily assigned to the Westwood Centre while the investigation was ongoing.
Elizabeth Moody, the trust’s director of nursing and deputy chief executive said: “We expect staff to show respect for the dignity and wellbeing of patients, and we take allegations that could suggest otherwise extremely seriously.
“Our patients are our priority and we responded quickly to these concerns.”
West Lane Hospital reopened in 2015 after a complete £13.8 million refurbishment and features specially designed bedrooms and therapy suites as well as education, games and music rooms. It offers 24-hour support, seven days a week to those who require low secure environment and need to be legally detained under the Mental Health Act.
