Overview:

Summary

Change Grow Live (CGL), acting for Cambridgeshire County Council prescribed long-term medicines (benzodiazepines) against national guidance and not in line with its own prescribing policy.

Finding

Fault found causing injustice and recommendations made.

Recommendations

The Council must consider the report and confirm within three months the action it has taken or proposes to take. The Council should consider the report at its full Council, Cabinet or other appropriately delegated committee of elected members and we will require evidence of this. (Local Government Act 1974, section 31(2), as amended)

We recommend CGL and the Council provide us with a report of the national clinical audit CGL is currently doing. We also recommend the Council ensures CGL improves record keeping, updates its policy to include recent guidance from NHS England and completes yearly audits of Cambridgeshire CGL clients who are on long-term prescriptions of benzodiazepines.

The Council and CGL have accepted our recommendations, which we welcome.

Ombudsman satisfied with Council's response: 25 January 2024.

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