THE HEALTH trust which runs Petersfield Hospital has been warned to make “significant improvements” to reduce future risks to patients.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust provides community healthcare and hospital services, and is one of the largest mental health and learning disability trusts in England.

At Petersfield Hospital, it provides services such as assessment and treatment for people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act.

It also carries out dementia, diagnostic and screening procedures, and treats minor injuries.

Older people are also cared for at the Swan Street hospital.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors didn’t specifically investigate the hospital during a performance investigation of the trust in January.

The investigation report highlighted the trust’s failure to investigate and learn from patient deaths, particularly of those receiving care in its older people’s, learning disability and mental health services.

In addition, inspectors found the trust did not effectively respond to concerns about safety raised by patients, their carers and staff.

Neither, the report said, did the trust respond to concerns raised by staff about their ability to carry out their roles effectively.

Meon Valley MP George Hollingbery welcomed the intervention of the CGC.

“Southern Health is working hard to improve its services and this CQC warning notice should allow its new leadership to focus on where progress needs to be quickly made to ensure patient safety,” he said.

“But it must be said the report was not all negative. It painted a picture of kind, sensitive and caring staff who were passionate about their jobs, and this is cause for optimism that the trust can turn things around.”