Bracton Centre Medium Secure Unit

The young men we talked with said that they respected the healthcare professionals who cared for them. They felt the application forms to see various healthcare providers were easy to complete. They said that it was easy for them to see the nursing staff but less easy to see the GPs. They felt that sometimes hospital appointments took too long to arrange.

We found that most people had access to information about the mental health act and advocacy, and there was evidence that some people were involved in their care planning. People received care that met their needs, and the provider had systems in place to ensure the quality of the service and carried out regular audits on the care people received. There were policies and procedures in place for staff to manage seclusion if required and for the reporting of incidents or safeguarding concerns. Medicines were administered and stored safely.

We found that the patients were involved in planning their treatment and making decisions about their health care. Clear information was given and the service was accessible to all those who required it.

We spoke with patients who told us they were happy with the service they received and were able to access appointments and specialist help easily when needed. We found most areas of the healthcare centre to be clean and hygienic although some minor improvements were needed to the dental surgery.

We found that medicines were prescribed, stored and managed appropriately and the necessary systems were in place and were followed in relation to the distribution and administration of medication. There were audits in place to monitor the performance of the service in various areas although there were some limits to the opportunities for patients and staff to give feedback on the overall service.