THIRD strike, we’re afraid, for Southern Health NHS Foundation trust, and out.

Yesterday a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report was released condemning the standards at a care home in Bicester operated by Southern Health.

Medication was out of date and staff admitted safety was compromised because they said they had too much to do.

Immediately we had a ‘mea culpa’ statement from Southern Health’s chief executive Katrina Percy, saying she was extremely disappointed and promising there is the drive and passion within her organisation to improve services it offers.

Yet this is the third time in three months that Southampton-based Southern Health has been heavily criticised by the CQC.

In November, it was told to stop taking admissions at its Slade House facility for people with learning disabilities in Horspath Driftway because of a slew of problems that sound similar to these latest ones.

Last week, yet another CQC report found that the drowning of Connor Sparrowhawk in a bath at Slade House could have been prevented.

This litany of failings is unacceptable. One critical report is unfortunate, two worrying, but three raises questions about this trust’s fitness to care for our vulnerable citizens.

It is time Southern Health stopped apologising and started to focus on what is so obviously going wrong.

As a community we entrust the care of our frail, vulnerable and sick to these organisations and Southern Health is currently failing them.

There cannot be a fourth chance for the organisation. One more critical report and heads must surely roll.