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Monitor launches investigation following abuse of a patient treated at Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Monitor yesterday launched an investigation into whether Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (Lancashire) breached its licence when a patient was abused while in its care.
The health regulator stepped in after a safeguarding case conference identified shortcomings in the way the specialist learning disability trust safeguarded its service users. Police investigated specific allegations of abuse earlier this year but decided to take no further action.
Monitor will now look into whether the episode may be evidence of wider problems with the way the trust is run, and whether the trust could have prevented or reduced the risk of abuse.
The regulator has also written to the Care Quality Commission asking it to undertake an urgent review of standards of care at the trust, which specialises in the treatment of adults with mental health and learning difficulties.
Robert Davidson, Regional Director at Monitor, said: "The fact that this issue was not identified by the trust may indicate a failure in the way the trust is working, so we have opened a formal regulatory investigation and also asked the CQC to assess the quality of care provided by the trust as a priority.
"We want to make sure that patients are receiving the best possible standards of care, and we will look closely at how the trust is run to determine whether it has breached the conditions of its licence to provide NHS healthcare services."
No decision has been taken about whether regulatory action is required, and an announcement about the outcome of the investigation will be made in due course.
Notes to editors:
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For further information please contact Sonya Cullington, Media Relations Manager (sonya.cullington@monitor.gov.uk and 020 3747 0433), or press.office@monitor.gov.uk (020 3747 0800).
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Monitor is the sector regulator of NHS-funded health care services. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 its main duty is to protect and promote the interests of patients. Information about Monitor's role can be found here.
