Maidenhead mental health hospital placed in special measures

Huntercombe Hospital in Maidenhead has been placed in special measures by the CQC

A mental health hospital where blood stains were found on a wall has been placed in special measures, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said.

The watchdog said care at Huntercombe Hospital in Maidenhead "fell well below" the standard expected.

Inspectors visited following concerns over the level of self-harming and complaints about the quality of care at the child and adolescent facility.

The Huntercombe Group has apologised for "unacceptable" levels of care.

The 60-bed independent hospital provides specialist mental health services for young people aged between 12 and 25.

Karen Bennett-Wilson, the CQC's lead for mental health, said inspectors found "a number of serious concerns" and care "fell well below the standard that young people should expect to receive".

Medication 'used inappropriately'

The CQC said young people on a ward at the hospital reported it sometimes took a while for staff to clean stains after a patient had harmed themselves by head-banging.

The resulting blood stains were seen on a wall by inspectors during their visit in November and December.

Staff on the two psychiatric intensive care unit wards "did not assess and manage risks to young people well", the CQC said.

It said concerns had been raised that medication was being "inappropriately used to manage aggression and distressed behaviour".

Inspectors also found antidepressants were prescribed to young people with no recorded diagnosis of depression at the time, and some young people appeared drowsy and sedated.

Three young people were also prescribed a sleeping aid that is not licensed for anyone under 18, they added.

In a statement Dr Sylvia Tang, chief executive of The Huntercombe Group, said: "We take the CQC's report very seriously and I would like to say sorry to young people and their families who were affected by the unacceptable level of care found in two wards of our hospital in particular."

She added changes have been made to the hospital's leadership structure, in an attempt to make "significant improvements".

Dr Tang also said the company was implementing an action plan to address outstanding concerns raised in the report.