The regulator’s report on Cygnet Hospital Wyke highlighted numerous areas of positive practice, including the quality of staff and leadership, the range of opportunities available to service users and the culture of care at the service.
The hospital, on Blankney Grange, Huddersfield Road, is a 37-bed hospital providing acute and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit services for men.
The unannounced inspection, which took place between 26 – 28 November last year, looked at all five key lines of enquiry and the service now has a Good rating for being Safe, Well-Led, Caring, Responsive and Effective.
As part of the inspection, the CQC met with existing patients and their carers and noted, “All of the patients we spoke with said staff were supportive, helpful and very caring.”
The report added: “Staff are kind, compassionate and caring towards patients on the wards. They interacted with patients well and were attentive to their needs. We saw staff and patients playing pool together and there was a good sense of fun.
“Patients told us staff treated them well and in a caring manner. The patients felt supported and were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.”
The regulator highlighted the range of social and educational activities available for service users such as a breakfast club, Maths, English, arts and crafts, an onsite gym, relaxation, pool, board games and music.
The report read: “Patients and carers told us that staff encouraged them to partake in activities which involved exercise and access to fresh air. These included attending the gymnasium or walking. Staff also encouraged patients to attend cooking sessions so they could learn to cook their own food and to make healthier food choices to meet their nutritional needs.
“Patients that could leave the hospital made use of local amenities such as a swimming pool.
“Staff delivered care in line with best practice and national guidance. They assessed and met patients’ nutritional and hydration needs. Patients had access to a full range of specialists, either within the service or externally. These included psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, activities coordinators, nurses, healthcare assistants and a social worker.”
Hospital manager Gavin Clark said everybody at the service was “absolutely delighted” to see Cygnet Hospital Wyke’s rating upgraded to ‘Good’.
He added: “This is a huge achievement for the team and reflects the dedication and hard work across all departments.
“Everyone at Cygnet Hospital Wyke genuinely cares about providing the best quality care and treatment we can and I am proud of the progress we’ve made. This positive rating serves as a testament to the ongoing efforts to deliver exceptional care. We want to build on this platform and keep improving as a service and ensure that we continue to provide positive outcomes for the people we support.”
Celebrating the ‘Caring’ culture at the hospital, inspectors noted: “Patients and carers who spoke with us said staff were kind, polite, respectful and supportive towards them. They said staff took time to listen to them and understood their needs.
“Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness. They respected patients’ privacy and dignity. Staff understood the individual needs of patients and supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. Staff involved patients in care planning and risk assessment and actively sought their feedback on the quality of care provided. Staff informed and involved families and carers appropriately.”
The regulator also highlighted how service users were given opportunities to develop their independence and sense of choice and control over their lives. The report mentioned initiatives that service users had been involved in, including; working in the hospital shop, helping to design a ‘social hub’, delivering mindfulness and relaxation groups, sitting on recruitment interview panels and delivering a co-produced therapy group, ‘Cheer Me Up’, which included weekly therapy sessions for men.
Praising the management of the service, inspectors said: “Management had actively promoted a culture in which people felt empowered to speak out about any concerns. Staff were happy, motivated and felt valued. Staff spoke highly of the hospital manager and other members of the senior leadership team.
“Staff told us they were supported by their managers. Managers genuinely cared about staff and the provider had a wealth of systems and facilities in place that staff could access to support their health and wellbeing.”
Describing the service as Safe, inspectors said all areas of the hospital were clean and staff followed infection control procedures correctly and effectively managed and assessed risks to patients.
They said staff knew how to report incidents, made safeguarding referrals when required, worked with external partners to keep people safe and safely managed medicines within the hospital.
To read the full report, please visit the CQC website.