The inspection covered services at 136 Suite and Crisis and Resolution Home Treatment Teams in Fulbourn Hospital in Cambridge, the Cavell Centre in Peterborough and the First Response Service based in Huntingdon.

It was prompted by concerns, including a lack of action responding to concerns raised by staff, ongoing risks and low staffing levels.  

The service's overall rating was dropped from good to requires improvement, as have the ratings for being safe and well-led. It was re-rated as good again for being caring, effective and responsive. The trust's overall rating remains good.  

Stuart Dunn, CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, said ‘leaders need to do more to address the risks caused by staff shortages and high sickness rates' which had put ‘significant pressure on teams and forced managers to rely on temporary staff who may not know people's needs and preferences as well, to fill shifts'.

Steve Grange, chief executive at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We acknowledge the findings of the Care Quality Commission following their inspection of our mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety. This was an inspection carried out in August 2024 and work continues to strengthen our processes to address and resolve concerns when they are raised and to ensure we have robust systems in place to share learning across the trust.

‘While the demand on our services, the complexity of patients and the resources available remains challenging for our teams, we continue to actively recruit and support our colleagues and we are fully committed to delivering the best care for our patients, service users, and their families.'