EX-PATIENTS and their families were angry yesterday to hear that the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) has only suspended referring NHS patients to the private BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital in Guildford, Surrey.
The hospital has suspended children’s surgery after a damning report that cited ‘life-threatening’ failings.
The last inspection took place on January 13, 2013, over three months ago.
The inspection found that there were ‘four instances where people had not given written consent for their operation, or that of their child prior to surgery’.
The report recorded: ‘Another incident report showed that on 20 November 2012 a patient stopped breathing.
‘Resuscitation was started and the emergency team arrived but the attempt was stopped after the Resident Medical Officer (RMO) telephoned the consultant. Resuscitation had, according to the patient notes, been discussed verbally but no DNAR forms were available. A DNAR form was completed after the patient had died.
‘This lack of discussion and assessment of patients is not in accordance with the GMC, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and RCN good practice guidance.
‘We asked for a copy of the Do Not Attempt Resuscitation policy. None was provided.’
A surgeon was criticised for operating without gloves in bloodstained shirtsleeves, thus risking people’s lives.
The owner, BMI Healthcare, has apologised since the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, only recently made public, which demanded immediate improvements to ‘protect people from coming to harm’.
The report found: ‘Medical, surgical and some nursing practices at BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital were so poor that people were put at significant risk.
‘This risk was, on some occasions, life-threatening.
‘One of the most serious concerns was the care of children admitted for surgery.’
Inspectors found that staff were untrained and had ‘very limited experience’ of caring for sick and post-operative children.
‘The hospital management team were dismissive of staff concerns and blocked action to improve the situation,’ their report added.
The local NHS clinical commissioning group said it had stopped sending patients there for the time being.
However, it said it would rescind the suspension after issues had been addressed.
Inspectors who visited the hospital in December 2012 and January 2013 said it failed on eight out of nine standards, including consent to care and treatment, and cleanliness and infection control.
Dr David Eyre-Brook, Guildford and Waverley CCG chairman, said yesterday: ‘We take any concerns about patient care extremely seriously and have taken immediate action to ensure the safety of patients while issues identified by the CQC are resolved.
‘As part of this, we are making rapid arrangements for patients to be offered other healthcare providers to ensure they receive the care they need promptly.’
Eyre-Brook said all Guildford and Waverley GPs had been informed of the suspension.
He added: ‘We will be liaising closely with the CQC and will rescind our suspension only when we and the CQC are satisfied that all appropriate actions have been carried out by the hospital to fully address the issues raised by the inspectors.’
The Department of Health refused to take responsibility for the threat to patients’ lives at the private hospital and the BMA and Unison would not comment.
Tory Health Secretary Hunt, ‘the hammer of the NHS’ and a cheerleader for privatisation, was as silent as the grave over this revelation of private medical practices!
