The Care Quality Commission

Archived: St Mary's Hospital

Floyd Drive, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 8DB (01925) 423300

Provided and run by:
St George Health Care Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

26 April 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our visit we spoke with patients and the staff working there. We spoke to three people who demonstrated an awareness of the care planning pilot which means that they have more choices about their care and how they spend their days

Six patients spoken with said that they were happy with their care. One person said that they sat on the patients' board but did not always attend by choice.

Another person said that they were happy on the ward and that the staff were good and felt 'looked after good'.

Patients reported that they were treated with respect and dignity and confirmed they were involved in planning for their care and treatment.

People we spoke with said that staff are 'better at letting us go outside for our smokes' One person said 'I can ask to go out now, don't always get it but hey, you have to ask.'

People we spoke with said that they were happy with their care.

Comments such as 'Happy with the staff; Food is good' were made by people who use the service

Three people spoken with confirmed that they were part of the new care planning pilot.

Four people spoken with said that they knew who to speak to if they had any issues or concerns. One person said that he would speak to the team leader or another staff member who he described as fantastic. 'They always listen and sort things out.'

The Mental Health Act commissioner spoke with people who said it was now a safe place to live.

8 December 2011

During a routine inspection

We spoke with people living at St Mary's hospital and they told us that their choices are limited. Patients and staff members told us that leave was restricted to 2 hours per week for all patients.

People told us their bedroom doors were locked at specific times during the day but that this was dependent on the staff team on duty.

People told us that they felt listened to by their social worker but not by other staff members. One person told us she was the best social worker they had had in 35 years of being in the mental health system.

People spoken with said that they had signed their care plans but did not fully understand them. They said that they felt staff did not fully support them as they 'were sat in the office in front of a computer all day.'

One person felt that the ward was understaffed and that the team leaders did little to support them.

People spoken with said that they did not feel safe at St Mary's.

During the visit by a mental health act commisioner on 2 December 2011 one patient described the ward as a 'stressful place to live', whilst two felt it was currently a safe place to live but had not been recently. Another was concerned about the potential for violence.

People said that they had a patients forum group and meetings were held on a regular basis but sometimes changes discussed did not take place .

Mental Health Act Commissioner reports

Each year, we visit all NHS trusts and independent providers who care for people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act to monitor the care they provide and check that patients' rights are met. Immediate concerns raised by patients on those visits are discussed, if appropriate, with hospital staff.

Our Mental Health Act Commissioners may carry out a number of visits to each provider over a 12-month period, during which they talk to detained patients, staff and managers about how services are provided. In the past, we summarised themes from the visits and published an annual statement followed by the provider's response where applicable. We are looking at different ways to indicate the outcomes of our monitoring in the future.