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An inspection of an under-fire mental health unit has identified "serious concerns" over its safety and staffing.

Hill Crest in Redditch, run by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, was visited in July after multiple issues were raised.

During the unplanned visit, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found a "significant deterioration" in "safety and quality" on the ward.

The trust apologised and said it was taking steps to improve care.

Claims reported to the CQC included incidents of staff asleep on duty and a culture of bullying.

A BBC investigation previously found a male patient's jaw had been broken by another service user.

Mixed-gender 18-bed Hill Crest ward supports people between 18 and 65 with acute mental health difficulties, and those detained under the Mental Health Act.

Craig Howarth, CQC's deputy director of operations in the Midlands, cited an incident during which a patient had attempted to throw boiling water and sugar at a member of staff.

"On the day of inspection, two boilers were still in use indicating that lessons had not been learned following this incident and no actions had been taken to mitigate any future risk," he said.

Other key findings included:

Inspectors heard male patients regularly entered a female-only lounge without being challenged by staff, the report said.

According to staff, a door between male and female areas was kept open with a towel over the handle.

'Staffing issues'

The BBC has previously heard reports of staff resigning after violent attacks on the ward.

The CQC report detailed high vacancy rates, with seven out of 10 nursing posts, and seven out of 18 healthcare assistant roles unfulfilled.

Workers reported "staffing issues" had left them under pressure, and they did not always feel respected or supported by managers.

The ward could not guarantee high numbers of bank and agency nurses were familiar with the hospital or patients, inspectors said.

In response, the trust said it had made immediate improvements to environment, risk assessment and handover procedures since the inspection, but personnel remained an issue.

Chief executive Sarah Dugan said: "We recognise that the standards of care and professionalism at Hill Crest at the time of the inspection last July were not good enough.

"I would like to apologise to the patients and families concerned."

Ms Dugan said there were still "significant staffing challenges which affect our ability to embed and sustain these improvements".

A temporary reduction to 10 beds would "help alleviate the pressures", she added.

"It will also help us focus on continuing to implement our improvement plan and sustain the changes that we are making."

The trust said it would work with other inpatient wards and community teams to ensure patients could continue to access care.

It submitted its action plan to the CQC on 5 September.

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