Care probe hospital suspends staff (From Haringey Independent)

Care probe hospital suspends staff

4:07pm Tuesday 14th February 2012 in National News © Press Association 2011

A hospital has suspended members of staff and closed a medical ward as part of an investigation into the care of a patient, it has said.

The Royal Cornwall Hospital said "a couple" of staff working on the 24-bed Wheal Agar ward, which mainly deals with elderly patients, had been suspended as a "neutral act" while it investigates allegations about the care of a single patient.

The ward at the hospital in Truro, which a spokesman said only contained a "few" patients, is reported to have closed temporarily at the weekend.

A hospital spokesman said: "We are currently investigating an allegation about a specific patient's care on one of our wards at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.

"As a matter of routine we take every concern raised seriously and accordingly in this instance we are exploring the matter fully.

"We can confirm staff have been suspended - this is a neutral act. The ward has been temporarily closed and any new patients will continue to be able to receive care and treatment within our hospitals services."

BBC Radio Cornwall reported that the ward had been closed down last weekend. The Royal Cornwall Hospital is the main general hospital in Cornwall and is run by the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust (RCHT).

Joe McKenna, of healthcare lobbying group Health Initiative Cornwall, said he was "extremely concerned" to hear about the ward closure. He said: "I understand there is a connection between this and the care of a patient, which worries me even more.

"This means there is a ward closed at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, a ward closed at West Cornwall Hospital (in Penzance) and, although it is not run by the RCHT, there is a total closure of the Poltair Hospital in Penzance.

"The people of Cornwall are stuck with two wards closed over two hospitals and one hospital totally shut."