Hove mental hospital rated good in official inspection

A Hove mental hospital has been given a “good” rating by official inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

While the overall rating was good the Priory Hospital Brighton and Hove, in Church Road, Hove, was told that it “requires improvement” when it comes to safety.

The CQC said: “We rated the Priory Hospital Brighton and Hove as good because

• Staff delivered care and treatment to patients in a kind, caring manner that respected their dignity.
• Patients told us they felt safe and well cared for on the ward. Staff managed patient safety by appropriate use of observations.
• Staff mandatory training was up to date and managers had completed appraisals of staff’s work performance.
• Staff covered all shifts and did not have to cancel therapy sessions or escorted patient leave
• Patient care plans showed good levels of patient involvement. Patients were involved in their care and given the opportunity to raise issues with the ward managers at a weekly community meeting.
• Patients received an induction pack when staff admitted them to the ward
• Nurses, doctors and other health professionals worked well together to provide safe and effective care and treatment to the patients. We observed a thorough and effective patient-focused staff handover.
• We saw evidence of an excellent working relationship between the ward and pharmacy services.
• Therapy staff had received training in effective, research-proven therapeutic techniques, including cognitive behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing.
• The hospital managers were a visible presence on the ward and made themselves known to staff and patients. Staff said managers were accessible and approachable.
• Staff had effective working relationships with surrounding NHS trusts and local authorities.

“However

• We observed numerous blind spots and potential ligature points (places to which patients intent on self-harm might tie something to strangle themselves) on the ward.
• Staff did not demonstrate clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act.
• Staff did not demonstrate a clear understanding of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards legislation, which could have a detrimental effect on patients’ liberty and rights.
• Not all informal patients (those not subject to the Mental Health Act) understood that they could leave the ward at any time.

“The Priory Hospital Brighton and Hove is part of the Priory Group and is an independent provider of psychiatric care and therapy for a range of mental health conditions including anxiety and depression as well as addictions.

“The hospital is a single ward 17-bed mixed-gender unit. The service provides day care, outpatient and inpatient treatments, mainly for patients who fund their own treatment but also for some NHS patients.

“We inspected this service as part of our ongoing independent mental health hospital inspection programme.

“Patients told us that nursing care was, on the whole, very good. Patients reported feeling safe and cared for on the ward and that nursing staff had time for them.

“Patients reported the locations checks carried out by staff were reassuring but at times they could be intrusive. Staff completed patient location checks at least hourly to ensure the safety of patients on the ward.”

The CQC said that it had rated the hospital as requiring improvement when it came to safety because the ward did not separate men and women patients well enough.

The inspectors’ report said: “There was no gender separation on the ward and no zoning of patients depending on gender.

“Male and female patients had bedrooms next to each other, which could have a detrimental effect on patients’ dignity and respect.”

Patients have their own en suite rooms but these were not in separate zones on one of the two floors of the building.

And while there were concerns about ligature points, the CQC said: “Staff mitigated the risk of blind spots and potential ligature risks on the ward by use of observations and updating risk assessments regularly.”

To read the CQC report, click here.

To find out more about the Priory Hospital Brighton and Hove, click here.