Mental health hospital 'requires improvement'

A mental health service has been rated as "requires improvement" following an unannounced inspection.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out the inspection of St Andrew's Hospital, in Northampton between November and December last year.

The visit was prompted by concerns over patient safety and staffing levels.

St Andrew's Healthcare said it was on "a journey of continuous improvement" and was "committed to delivering the standard of care which our patients deserve".

The hospital provides care for patients with complex mental health needs, some of whom have repeat histories of offending.

In the report published last week, and seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, inspectors found that patients and staff "did not always feel safe on the wards".

Concerns were also raised about blanket restrictions on access to food and drink, maintenance issues such as a lack of hot water, and serious allegations of abuse.

Nineteen allegations of abuse by staff had been made by patients in the six months prior to the visit.

Inspectors were told that not all staff had taken action to protect patients.

The report added that some patients had told inspectors they had been "subject to verbal and physical aggression".

The report also noted the service had a high level of vacancies and a high use of non-permanent staff.

The hospital will now require an action plan.

A St Andrew's Healthcare spokesperson said: "We are pleased the CQC recognised our teams are 'good' in the responsive and well-led categories.

"We are on a journey of continuous improvement and are committed to delivering the standard of care which our patients deserve.

"As a charity which looks after people with complex mental health conditions, our purpose remains to inspire hope among all those who we look after."

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