Bromley Road Hospital

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

This means we looked for evidence that the hospital involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this inspection, the rating has remained the same.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Patients and relatives consistently described staff as caring, compassionate and respectful.

Staff were discreet, respectful, and responsive when caring for patients. Staff treated people with dignity and demonstrated commitment to promoting recovery and wellbeing. We observed positive interactions throughout the inspection and relatives praised staff for the quality of support provided.

Patients were generally involved in decisions relating to their care and treatment. We observed examples of collaborative clinical discussion and shared decision-making.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture, unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service demonstrated a commitment to delivering person-centred care that recognised people's individual needs, strengths and recovery goals. Staff tailored support to the individual and used personalised interventions to promote recovery, independence and wellbeing. Care planning and therapeutic interventions reflected an understanding of patients' personal histories, preferences, strengths, protective factors and aspirations for the future.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of trauma-informed approaches and were able to describe how care and support were adapted to meet individuals' needs. Relatives told us that staff treated people as individuals and adjusted their approach in response to patients' preferences, communication styles and support requirements.

Patients had access to a wide range of rehabilitation opportunities and community-based resources designed to support social inclusion, skill development and long-term recovery. These included occupational therapy-led interventions, education, self-catering opportunities, physical activity and access to the wider community. Some patients attended college courses and participated in community-based activities such as art groups, swimming, gym sessions, yoga and recreational outings. Staff supported patients to develop everyday living skills, build confidence and increase their independence through structured rehabilitation programmes, graded leave and community engagement.

Patients were generally involved in decisions about their care and treatment. We saw examples of staff seeking patients' views during care planning reviews, multidisciplinary discussions and rehabilitation planning. Most patients told us they felt listened to and supported to make choices about their care. However, a small number of patients said they would have liked greater involvement in some aspects of care planning and future decision-making.

Leaders were aware of the importance of patient involvement and staff described ongoing efforts to increase patient participation and ensure patients' voices were more consistently reflected within care plans and treatment reviews.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service promoted independence through structured rehabilitation programmes, community leave, educational opportunities, self-catering initiatives and proactive discharge planning. Staff supported patients to develop the skills and confidence required for greater independence and successful transition to less restrictive settings. We saw evidence of patients making progress towards their rehabilitation goals, including increased community engagement, participation in education and vocational activities, and preparation for discharge. For example, one patient on the step-down ward was actively engaging with community housing services to secure suitable accommodation in preparation for discharge.

Patients had opportunities to develop daily living skills, access community resources and participate in activities designed to support social inclusion, recovery and progression towards greater independence. Activities included education, physical activity, self-catering, community visits and therapeutic interventions tailored to individual recovery goals and interests. Following feedback from the 2025 Service User Experience Survey, My Care and Treatment, the service had taken action to expand activity provision and was working with patients and occupational therapy staff to co-produce activities aligned to individuals' recovery goals, preferences and interests.

We observed effective multidisciplinary working to promote independence and recovery. Nursing, psychology, occupational therapy and medical staff worked collaboratively to support patients' rehabilitation goals, review progress and identify opportunities to increase independence safely. This included supporting patients to develop community living skills, access meaningful occupation and progress through agreed leave arrangements.

Most patients spoke positively about the support they received to develop independence and achieve their recovery goals. Patients described being encouraged to participate in activities, develop practical skills and prepare for life beyond the service. However, some patients told us they would have liked greater involvement in decisions relating to their treatment, medication and discharge planning. A small number of patients also described discussions about medication and leave arrangements that they perceived as restrictive.

Leaders were aware of the importance of patient involvement and had mechanisms in place to gather feedback and identify opportunities to further strengthen collaborative decision-making and personalised care planning.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff were generally responsive when patients required support and patients described staff as available and approachable. Relatives also highlighted examples of staff going beyond expectations to support patients and families during periods of leave and transition.

Staff demonstrated awareness of patients' immediate physical and mental health needs and responded appropriately when concerns arose. Medical staff were accessible and actively involved in patient care, and inspectors observed positive multidisciplinary collaboration supporting timely clinical review and escalation where required.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff had access to supervision, training, wellbeing initiatives and leadership support. Workforce survey results demonstrated strengths in safety culture, role clarity and recognition. Staff told us they were proud of the care they provided, felt valued by the organisation and described good morale within teams. Throughout the inspection, staff demonstrated passion and commitment to delivering high-quality patient care. Staff described supportive team relationships and an open culture where individuals felt able to share their views, raise concerns and contribute to service development.

We observed an open and constructive culture in which staff were willing to discuss practice, reflect on areas for improvement and participate in quality improvement initiatives. Leadership teams promoted staff engagement through regular supervision, team meetings, one-to-one discussions and opportunities for reflective practice.

The provider invested in workforce development and staff wellbeing. Staff had access to peer support groups, professional networks and communities of practice, which enabled them to share learning, discuss complex cases and develop their clinical skills. Staff told us these forums provided opportunities for professional support, reflective learning and the sharing of good practice across teams. Staff also described feeling well supported by managers following incidents and when managing complex patient situations, with access to supervision and debriefs to support their wellbeing and resilience.

There was evidence of ongoing service improvement initiatives designed to strengthen clinical practice and patient outcomes. For example, the service had strengthened its approach to physical healthcare through the appointment of a dedicated physical health lead, which was supported by staff training, increased oversight and improved physical health monitoring processes. In response to patient feedback, staff were also working alongside occupational therapy colleagues to co-produce a wider range of recovery-focused activities aligned to patients' interests and rehabilitation goals. These initiatives demonstrated an ongoing commitment to developing staff skills, supporting staff wellbeing and improving patient outcomes.

Leadership demonstrated a supportive approach to staff development and quality improvement, and multidisciplinary collaboration was evident throughout the service. Staff worked effectively together to support rehabilitation, recovery and progression towards greater independence.