HM Mental Health

Castlebeck has announced the sale of Mental Health Concern, the care home provider, to the man who sold it to them back in 2007.

The number of detentions and Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) under the Mental Health Act increased last year according to new figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

The Priory Group has taken the decision to de-register its psychiatric hospital in Widnes following continuing issues with standards and quality. The Widnes hospital, which has offered mental health services to patients suffering from a range of conditions, was initially prevented from admitting patients from the North West because its previous owners, Hanover Healthcare, were involved in protracted issues surrounding the framework agreement with the North West Specialised Commissioning Group (see HMN May 2011). Priory bought the hospital with the intention of saving it from closure and the objective of turning around performance and raising standards, but has said it has been unable to overcome the historic difficulties within its target timescale, despite concerted efforts. Matthew Franzidis, chief operating officer said: Priory Group acquired this hospital in 2011 and has undertaken a holistic review of services and standards. The previous owners of the hospital were not able to gain the confidence of NHS commissioners and standards were not sufficiently high at the time of purchase. Priory Group places quality provision at the heart of its service and always regarded the Widnes hospital as a turnaround’ project. The company has deployed considerable resources in terms of expertise and investment but has been unable to resolve the issues to its satisfaction.’ The seven remaining patients at the 74-bed hospital will be found new placements and a consultation process has begun with staff. Priory said it would seek to redeploy staff wherever possible and was committed to a safe transfer of service users to new locations. Mr Franzidis added:Sometimes, when the culture and standards at a facility cannot be changed quickly, it is right that it is de-registered. The company has consulted with the regulators and other authorities on this decision.’ In July inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that safeguarding incidents

The NHS has launched a specialised commissioning worksite for clinicians and managers working in specialised services.

Priory Group has opened a community mental health facility, The Cloisters, in Newbury following collaboration with the Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust to find out the best way to help mental health patients in the area. The seeds of the collaboration were sown more than four years ago when Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust made the decision to relocate 24 service users, with highly complex needs, from a hospital environment to a community setting. Paul Cowans, service line director at Priory Group, said: This is a very exciting and innovative partnership designed to deliver high quality care, treatment and rehabilitation in a community setting. The Cloisters is a 24 bed adult rehabilitation unit offering treatment and rehabilitation in a comfortable setting for men and women with enduring mental health difficulties.

The board and management team at Castlebeck has responded to the publication of the Serious Case Review into the scandal at one of its homes, Winterbourne View. The Board says it welcomes the findings of the panel under the independent chairmanship of Dr Margaret Flynn.

Partnerships in Care, the mental health service provider is to open a new eight bed locked rehab hospital for women in Nottinghamshire in October 2012.

Service users at Cygnet Health Care’s hospital in Beckton, Greater London, have been learning how to interview potential new employees. The scheme is part of mental healthcare and heroin detox provider Cygnet’s strategy to help service users shape the delivery of care at Cygnet facilities. The initiative comes along with the launch of the new Cygnet Health Care website, http://www.cygnethealth.co.uk/, and the roll-out of Cygnet Health Care Welcome Guides manuals describing life at Cygnet Health Care facilities, created with the collaborative input of service users.

A report by the London School of Economics (LSE) has attacked the NHS for its treatment of mental health patients.

People aged between 18 and 74 with serious mental health problems are three times more likely than those in the general population to die in any one year according to data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).