A hospital providing care for women with mental health needs has completed a remarkable turnaround after it was rated good by the social care watchdog.
A report by the Care Quality Commission gave Cygnet Hospital in Hexham a 'good' overall rating as well as good in all categories bar one.
CQC said the service still requires improvement in terms of safety - but it comes after a difficult period for the home that saw it closed down for almost a year.
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Following an inspection in 2019, when the service provided wards for adults with a learning disability and/or autism and named Cygnet Chesterholme, enforcement action was taken. The service was rated inadequate and placed into special measures before closing in September 2019 and reopening in October 2020.
A focused inspection in April 2021 was carried out in response to whistleblowing concerns in relation to patient safety. Although it was not rated at this point, a number of issues were found - including a lack of space to provide a safe and therapeutic environment.
Following the latest inspection, however, CQC noted a number of improvements and singled out staff for praise. The report states: "The ward environments were safe and clean and where possible improvements to the environment had been made as identified at the last inspection. Staff assessed and managed risk well.
"Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment. The ward teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of patients on the
wards.
"Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and understood the individual needs of patients. They actively involved patients and families and carers in care decisions.
"The service was well led, and the governance processes ensured that ward procedures ran smoothly."
Brian Cranna, CQC’s head of hospital inspection added: “When inspectors re-visited Cygnet Hospital Hexham, it was clear that the new team and leadership were delivering good care to women at the new services provided. We found managers at all levels had the right skills and abilities to run a service providing high-quality care.
"They were enthusiastic and passionate about the improvements they had made.”
The improved report has been welcomed by Anthony Saiger, the service's hospital manager.
He said: “It’s been hard work from a lot of caring and supportive staff to get to this point. The team have shown admirable dedication and motivation to provide an excellent, supportive environment for our service users. I am absolutely over the moon with this result as we truly want a safe and high-quality environment for the women we care for.
"We will now utilise this feedback to continually grow and build quality in every aspect of the hospital to benefit our service users and families for many years come.”
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