- Independent mental health service
Newmarket House
Assessment report published 2 February 2026
Contents
Ratings - Specialist eating disorder services
Our view of the service
We carried out an inspection of Newmarket House on 10 December 2025 due to an aged rating.
Newmarket House is an independent hospital providing specialist services for people with eating disorders. The hospital does not admit patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. The service provides 10 beds for men and women. At the time of the inspection, there were 5 female patients receiving care and treatment. The service has a registered manager and a nominated individual.
As well as offering specialist services for people with eating disorders, staff had recently trained to complete the ADOS-2 assessment for autism, and an autism pathway had been developed. The counselling psychologist, occupational therapist and 1 member of the therapy team were trained to complete the diagnostic interview for ADHD, in response to increased evidence of neurodivergence in patients presenting with eating disorders.
Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance Summary
The service did not admit patients who were detained under the Mental Health Act.
Staff supported patients in making informed decisions about their care. They demonstrated a thorough understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, including its five core principles, and followed provider policy for assessing and recording capacity. Records evidenced that patients were given comprehensive explanations and adequate time to process information before consenting to treatment. The service maintained 100% staff training compliance for the MCA.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 3 patients as part of our inspection.
Patient feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with one patient telling us they had an amazing journey at Newmarket House - they told us it's a place like no other and help and support was uniquely catered to everyone. Patients told us staff were skilled and had completed additional training to support patients with their individual needs.
Patients told us staff were always kind and supportive, staff were open and honest, and they encouraged patients to consider long-term recovery.
Patients told us staff were amazing. They really worked to build patient trust which is so important and for the first time they felt like they wanted to recover. Patients told us they felt for the first time staff had understood them and they understood what they needed to do to improve and get better.
Patients told us they valued the level and depth of therapy and groups, which included therapy guinea pigs and mini donkeys, as well as music therapy.
Patients commended the food choice available and told us all food was made fresh and from scratch. Patients said the transition to preparing your own food was really good and took a step-by-step approach - going from breakfast preparation all the way up to hot meal preparation.
Patients felt their feedback was listened to. They had meetings with the founder, who regularly visited the service and asked for feedback. Patients said that changes were actively made as result of this.
Patients commended the services support with neurodiversity, the autism friendly meals and how staff supported patients to unpick the link between their autism and eating disorder.
We spoke with 3 family members as part of the inspection. All family members were overwhelmingly positive about the care and treatment their family member had received as well as themselves. Family members told us they were greeted with kindness and compassion. Family members said they could contact the service at any time should they want an update, advice or information. They told us the groups were invaluable in supporting them in understanding eating disorders and understanding how to support patients post discharge.
One family member said the treatment their child received was amazing on all levels and even though staff were faced with challengers with managing behaviours, they always showed kindness and compassion.
One family member told us the work they did at Newmarket House was nothing short of incredible and, quite simply, lifesaving. Staff created and managed highly personalised care plans that encompassed weight restoration, emotional therapy, and body image work. The constant, gentle love, care, and attention shown every single day — had transformed their child’s life.
Family members told us that the various rooms, like the garden summer house, the sensory area in the garden, the large art room, make it so much more approachable for patients and that the staff were attentive, sympathetic, professional, friendly and helpful. Family members said the family workshops they have attended were invaluable.