Mental health hospital staff praised by watchdog

EPUT, whose headquarters are pictured here, had five of its seven wards at Brockhouse House inspected

Staff at a mental health hospital have been praised for creating a "positive culture of safety" across five wards.

Brockfield House, in Wickford, was rated "good" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in a report published on Friday.

The centre, run by Essex Partnership University Foundation NHS Trust (EPUT), cares for men and women with mental health disorders.

Paul Scott, chief executive of EPUT, said he was "delighted" by the CQC's verdict.

Inspections of the Alpine, Forest, Aurora, Fuji and Causeway wards were carried out in April 2024.

It followed concerns brought to the CQC about patient treatment, whose inspectors found them to be "unsubstantiated".

Staff were instead praised for minimising the use of restrictive practices, reducing the use of restraint and seclusion.

Inspectors found patient discharges were well-managed with regular reviews, while the facilities were noted to be "clean, safe and well-maintained".

'Relentless drive'

Mr Scott said all at EPUT were pleased the team's "hard work" had been recognised.

"This is a testament to the relentless drive to improve care for all our patients," he added.

EPUT has been at the centre of a public inquiry into mental health deaths across the county.

The deaths of at least 2,000 people under NHS care in Essex have been included in the Lampard Inquiry.

Evidence is due to resume on Monday.