Sheffield mental health hospital 'needs improvement'

The independent hospital has capacity for 55 patients

A mental health hospital in Sheffield has been told by inspectors it "requires improvement".

Health watchdog the Care Quality Commission said Cygnet Hospital needed to improve in areas including safety, training and reliance on agency staff.

The inspection comes after Labour MP Louise Haigh urged NHS England to stop commissioning beds at the hospital.

A spokesperson for Cygnet said it was "committed to acting on the recommendations made in the report".

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The independent hospital, on East Bank Road, has capacity for 55 patients across four wards and provides mental health services for women, children and adolescents.

The inspection report highlighted issues including;

• Low rates of staff were trained in managing physical aggression and basic and immediate life support

• Concern over the accessibility of necessary medical supplies

• Patients were uncomfortable approaching agency staff

• Patients were kept in seclusion as a "punishment" and until they were "remorseful"

Labour MP Louise Haigh has urged NHS England to stop commissioning beds at the hospital

The visit in August was the fourth since June 2016 - two of which took place in response to two serious incidents which occurred on Haven ward, a psychiatric intensive care unit for children and adolescents.

A Care Quality Commission spokesperson said: "Although we noted some improvements since our previous inspections, there were still instances where the provider had not sufficiently addressed previous shortfalls as well as further areas of concern that we identified."

Responding to the report, Ms Haigh said: "Serious problems persist and it is an utter disgrace that vulnerable adolescents and children continue to be left in substandard conditions.

"The lack of mental health beds nationwide is forcing vulnerable people into conditions no-one should have to put up with."