A NORTH-EAST hospital trust was told earlier this year it must address patient safety after a report found that part of its services “required improvements”.

A Care Quality Commission report in May found that overall services within the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust were rated ‘good’, but there were concerns regarding safety.

The report found the trust’s annual suicide prevention environmental surveys were not up to date on nine wards, and on four of the wards, not all staff were aware of the risks in the environment.

Male patients were allowed to use the female only lounge on the Rowan ward at Harrogate District Hospital and the room designated for use as a female only lounge was not being used for that purpose on the Wingfield ward at Sandwell Park in Hartlepool.

There was out of date stock and equipment in the clinic rooms of some wards and there was no nurse call system for patients to summon staff in an emergency on The Orchard in Middlesbrough.

Staff in that department were also found not to routinely carry personal alarms.

On four older people’s wards there were significant gaps where staff had not signed to state whether medication had been given to patients.

However, the CQC report found staff had a “good understanding” of the Mental Health Act and applied this in practice.