Mental health services that fail to improve could be shut, says watchdog

Failing intelligence wellness services that bash not improve, whether tally by backstage firms oregon the NHS, could beryllium shut, a Care Quality Commission main has said.

It follows the watchdog judging arsenic "inadequate" 3 kid wards astatine the Priory Group's biggest hospital.

The wards astatine Cheadle Royal, adjacent Manchester, "did not ever supply harmless care", the CQC found.

Priory Group has disputed the CQC's finding, saying it does not accurately bespeak the prime of the service.

The institution says it has invested astir £2m since January past twelvemonth to amended the service.

The Priory Group describes itself arsenic the starring autarkic supplier of intelligence healthcare and big societal attraction successful the UK.

The unannounced inspection of Cheadle Royal took spot earlier this twelvemonth "in effect to concerns astir safety". BBC News archetypal reported successful January three women had died astatine the infirmary past year, though not successful the wards inspected for this report.

The CQC's caller manager of intelligence wellness services, Chris Dzikiti, said helium was determined to thrust up standards successful each units and warned helium volition adjacent services who neglect to improve.

"If we don't spot a work improving from 'inadequate' oregon 'requires improvement', we mightiness get to a constituent whereby we mightiness person to usage our enforcement powers," helium told the BBC, successful his archetypal broadcast interview.

"It mightiness mean for immoderate provider, whether NHS oregon autarkic sector, we mightiness get to a constituent wherever a work is closed. Is that possible? Yes it is possible."

The CQC is liable for inspecting much than 900 intelligence wellness units crossed England.

Despite a 4,000 furniture alteration successful intelligence wellness beds successful a decennary according to the Nuffield Trust, the fig of beds operated by backstage companies has accrued with those providers reported to person astir £2bn of taxpayers wealth each year.

Addressing Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal's CQC report, Mr Dzikiti described the findings arsenic "serious" and that helium expected an betterment enactment program to beryllium enactment successful spot with wide timelines.

It looked astatine 3 Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) wards, and recovered a bid of problems including wards that were not good maintained, ample numbers of unit vacancies and precocious levels of restraint.

Inspectors concluded the CAMHS work was "inadequate" and found:

Mr Dzikiti said the watchdog was continuously successful interaction with the Priory Group and it volition reappraisal their progress.

Priory Group CEO Rebekah Creswell said she was committed to addressing issues raised by the study but was "disappointed" by the findings.

She disputed "the factual accuracy of galore aspects of the report" and said: "Our responsibilities are archetypal and foremost to our patients and their families, and portion we instrumentality the study precise earnestly and stay committed to addressing immoderate issues raised, the misrepresentation of our work is unhelpful some to them, and to our dedicated and hard-working staff."

Ms Creswell said the institution had already invested £360,000 this twelvemonth successful refurbishing its Orchard CAMHS ward.

The Priory runs much than 60 hospitals and wellbeing centres successful the UK, including the Priory Hospital Roehampton wherever a fig of celebrities person sought treatment.

One erstwhile diligent connected Orchard welcomed the CQC's findings. Meredith Movel, 22, was 15 erstwhile she was admitted to the Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal.

She spent 18 months connected CAMHS wards astatine the hospital, which she describes arsenic "cold", "uncaring" and "lonely".

"It's been years now. But astatine slightest the CQC is yet saying something," she said.

"I hold with everything they're saying, like, it was perfectly appalling erstwhile I was determination and I'm not amazed that it hasn't changed".

A erstwhile CQC inspector, who wants to stay anonymous, told BBC News successful his sentiment aft years of inspections, backstage providers did airs peculiar concerns.

"The companies were focused connected estimation management, the larger ones, certainly. And they were focused connected having hospitals that were full. You'll spot the aforesaid issues coming up again and again," helium said.

He told america that could person superior consequences: "They are not hazard assessing good capable to forestall radical harming themselves earnestly oregon dying".

In effect the Department of Health and Social Care said: "Private companies person ever played a relation successful the NHS, and patients should expect a harmless and bully prime work careless of whether their attraction is delivered by autarkic oregon nationalist assemblage providers."