Cygnet Appletree: Women at risk of harm in mental health hospital

Inspectors visited the hospital's Pippin ward

A women's mental health hospital was failing to keep patients safe, a watchdog has found.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited Cygnet Appletree in Meadowfield, Durham, in August after concerns were raised by whistleblowers.

The inspectors found a range of issues including a failure to properly monitor patients who had been restrained using rapid tranquilisers.

Cygnet Health Care said all the CQC's concerns had been addressed.

The CQC visited the hospital's 10-bed Pippin ward, which provides "high-intensity care and treatment for people whose illness means they cannot be safely or easily managed on an acute ward".

At the time of their visit on 5 and 6 August, the ward had nine patients.

Issues included:

• Staff failing to notice one woman had not eaten for 10 days until she collapsed

• A woman monitored for only one minute after being restrained with a rapid tranquiliser, going against guidance which urges hourly checks until there are no further health concerns

• Only 50% of staff trained in immediate life support

• Possible ligature points and blind spots in rooms had not been identified

• Staff were not trained in recording incidents

• Public Health England guidance not being followed in the use of personal protective equipment related to Covid-19

CQC deputy chief inspector Dr Kevin Cleary said the hospital "was not ensuring its patients' safety" with a "lack of oversight from managers" and failure to follow policies behind many of the shortcomings".

A spokeswoman for the hospital said all staff were now trained properly and the problems had been addressed.

She said: "We are confident that the service today is very different to the one reflected in the report and mirrors the high standards of safety and care that merited the hospital a Good CQC rating in the previous inspection report nine months before."