Barnt Green

Updated 5 September 2025

Priory Barnt Green is a 33 bedded independent hospital in Lickey Hills, Birmingham, providing care and treatment to people who are experiencing mental health issues. The hospital is run by Priory Healthcare. The service was registered with the Care Quality Commission in August 2020.

The hospital comprises of 3 wards:

• Beacon ward is a 10 bedded mixed gender private acute mental health ward for adults of working age.
• Jubilee is a 13 bedded mixed gender NHS acute mental health ward for adults of working age.
• Clent ward is a 10 bedded female NHS psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) mental health ward for adults of working age.

We carried out a site visit to the service on 27 and 28 May 2025, followed by offsite activities. The inspection team consisted of 3 CQC inspectors and 1 specialist advisor. On the day of our onsite assessment, there were 22 patients across the service, 11 on Jubilee ward, 7 on Clent ward and 4 on Beacon Ward. The hospital provides care to both informal patients and those detained under the Mental Health Act.

The service was previously rated requires improvement overall. Following this inspection, the rating has stayed the same. We inspected all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions to achieve this rating. The service was previously rated as requires improvement in the key questions effective and well-led. The rating for effective has changed to good, and the rating for well-led has remained the same. The service was previously rated as good for the key question safe, however the rating for this key question has changed to requires improvement following this assessment. The provider has remained in breach of regulation in relation to good governance.

The provider was in breach of 2 regulations in relation to Safe Care and Treatment and Good Governance. We identified issues around Infection, prevention and control (IPC). Staff did not always ensure that the ward environment on Jubilee and Clent ward was clean and well-maintained. We observed visibly unclean areas in the communal areas of Jubilee and Clent ward. We identified that the provider's governance processes were not always effective. The provider did not have robust systems and processes in place to safely support Jubilee patients to seclusion.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 19 May 2025

Priory Barnt Green is a 33 bedded independent hospital in Lickey Hills, Birmingham, providing care and treatment to people who are experiencing mental health issues. The hospital is run by Priory Healthcare. The service was registered with the Care Quality Commission in August 2020.

The hospital comprises of 3 wards:

• Beacon ward is a 10 bedded mixed gender private acute mental health ward for adults of working age.
• Jubilee is a 13 bedded mixed gender NHS acute mental health ward for adults of working age.
• Clent ward is a 10 bedded female NHS psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) mental health ward for adults of working age.

We carried out a site visit to the service on 27 and 28 May 2025, followed by offsite activities. The inspection team consisted of 3 CQC inspectors and 1 specialist advisor. On the day of our onsite assessment, there were 22 patients across the service, 11 on Jubilee ward, 7 on Clent ward and 4 on Beacon Ward. The hospital provides care to both informal patients and those detained under the Mental Health Act.

The service was previously rated requires improvement overall. Following this inspection, the rating has stayed the same. We inspected all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions to achieve this rating. The service was previously rated as requires improvement in the key questions effective and well-led. The rating for effective has changed to good, and the rating for well-led has remained the same. The service was previously rated as good for the key question safe, however the rating for this key question has changed to requires improvement following this assessment. The provider has remained in breach of regulation in relation to good governance.

The provider was in breach of 2 regulations in relation to Safe Care and Treatment and Good Governance. We identified issues around Infection, prevention and control (IPC). Staff did not always ensure that the ward environment on Jubilee and Clent ward was clean and well-maintained. We observed visibly unclean areas in the communal areas of Jubilee and Clent ward. We identified that the provider's governance processes were not always effective. The provider did not have robust systems and processes in place to safely support Jubilee patients to seclusion.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward.

Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance

Mental Health Act

Most patients were detained for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Staff stored copies of patients detention papers and associated records correctly and staff could access them when needed. At the last inspection, the provider had a breach in Good Governance as the provider had failed to ensure staff had access to Mental Health Act paperwork and did not identify in a timely manner that patients' detention was about to lapse. At this inspection, patient records demonstrated that the service had made improvements. There was now an alert system in place to notify staff when patients' detention was about to lapse.

Patients had access to an Independent Mental Health Advocate. Posters were displayed on noticeboards on the wards with contact details to reach this service.

Staff ensured patients could take section 17 leave (permission to leave the hospital) when this was agreed by the multidisciplinary team. Section 17 leave was not always granted dependent on patient risk; this was discussed with patients.

Staff explained to each patient their rights under the Mental Health Act. Rights were repeated to patients as required and this was recorded in patient records. Patients were provided with leaflets, and these were available in a different formats or languages if required. Patients told us they were informed of their rights. However, 1 patient told us this was difficult to understand as there was a lot of information.

Staff had access to support and advice on implementing the Mental Health Act and its Code of Practice. At the time of our assessment, the provider did not have onsite Mental Health Act administration support. The provider could access Mental Health Act administration support remotely.

Staff received and kept up to date with training on the Mental Health Act, this was mandatory for staff. Compliance was at 100% across all 3 wards.

The service had relevant and up-to-date policies and procedures that reflected all relevant legislation and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice. For example, the provider had a policy on "The Mental Health Act and Administration of Medication by Nurses."

Most staff knew who to approach for further support. Some staff could name the Mental Health Act administrator. For those who could not name the administrator, they stated they would approach ward level management. Some staff could not describe the basic principles of the Act.

Mental Capacity Act

Staff received and kept up to date with training on the Mental Capacity Act, this was mandatory for staff. Compliance was at 100% across all 3 wards.

The service had relevant and up-to-date policies and procedures that reflected relevant legislation.

Staff completed an assessment of each patient's capacity to consent to admission and treatment on admission. Further assessments took place during reviews by the multidisciplinary team if required.

At the time of our assessment, no patients had advanced decisions in place. Managers told us this would be documented in care records.