Cygnet Elowen Hospital

Updated 26 August 2026

We assessed Cygnet Elowen Hospital from the 3 to the 12 of August 2026.

We assessed the service to review the progress made against the warning notices that were served on the provider following an inspection in February 2026. We found that the service had made improvements and had met the required actions of the warning notices.

Cygnet Elowen Hospital is hospital for adults located in Derbyshire. The hospital is registered to support individuals with disordered eating and those with complex personality disorders with disordered eating. There are two wards at Cygnet Elowen Hospital. Nova Ward is an eating disorder service registered to support those with low body mass index (BMI). Alina Ward is a personality disorder service for women with a dual diagnosis of co-morbid disordered eating.

Cygnet Elowen Hospital registered with CQC on 24 July 2025 to deliver the regulated activities: Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

At this assessment we assessed 1 assessment service group (Nova Ward, an eating disorder service, as part of the assessment) where we assessed 29 quality statements. We rated the service as good. The rating from this assessment has been combined with ratings of the other service from the last inspection. See our previous reports to get a full picture of all other services at Cygnet Elowen Hospital. The overall rating of Cygnet Elowen Hospital has remained requires improvement.

Updated 24 June 2026

We assessed Nova Ward from the 3 to 12 August 2026. Nova Ward is an eating disorder service registered to support those with low body mass index (BMI).

We assessed the service to review the progress made against the warning notices that were served on the provider following the inspection in February 2026. We assessed 29 quality statements. The remaining 4 quality statements were aggregated from our previous inspection findings. We rated the service as good. The service had made improvements, met the actions of the warning notices and is no longer in breach of regulations.

Improvements in governance, oversight and specialist eating disorder expertise meant that care was now safer on Nova Ward. Increased audits and checks were more effective in identifying concerns and supporting improvements. Patients on Nova Ward were no longer subjected to restrictive practices where staff had not complied with regulatory requirements relating to consent. Staff followed procedures and responded appropriately to identified risks. Care was delivered in line with evidence-based approaches, and training opportunities for staff and the multidisciplinary team had improved. This was reflected in staff’s increased confidence in delivering care.

Patients and relatives told us that staff treated them with kindness, compassion and dignity. Patients and their families were generally positive about the way complaints were handled.

Staff felt empowered to challenge practice and raise concerns. This was evident in the collaborative discussions we observed during ward meetings and other meetings we attended as part of the inspection. Leaders, particularly the newly appointed ward manager, were increasingly visible, supportive and were working to embed a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities.

There had been significant changes in the service’s leadership, which had had a positive impact on the running of the ward. This was evident through improved oversight and in the feedback from patients and staff. However, these changes were recent and it was too early to determine whether the new governance arrangements were sustainable.

Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance Summary

Staff on Nova Waed now understood and upheld patients’ rights under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA). Leaders had strengthened the administration and oversight of MHA processes, and staff completed detention paperwork appropriately and supported patients to understand and exercise their rights. Informal patients were no longer required to request leave in a way that restricted their rights. All staff had received MHA training, and staff followed policies and procedures that reflected current guidance. Patients had access to independent advocacy.

The newly appointed MHA administrator had strengthened oversight of MHA-related paperwork and processes. We identified a small number of minor administrative errors in the paperwork we reviewed, but staff identified and addressed these promptly. Leaders had also strengthened audits and oversight of MHA compliance following our inspection findings and feedback.

Staff had improved how they assessed and recorded capacity, and they documented best interest decisions more consistently. These decisions increasingly reflected patients’ wishes, culture and personal history.

Updated 7 January 2026

This assessment of Alina Ward took place on 24 March 2026. The ward provided support for women with personality disorder service with co-morbid disordered eating in response to concerns we received about the service. We rated this service requires improvement. The rating from this assessment has been combined with ratings of the other service from the last inspection. See our previous reports to get a full picture of all other services at Cygnet Elowen Hospital. The overall rating of Cygnet Elowen Hospital has remained requires improvement.

In our assessment of Alina ward, we found that the service requires improvement overall. We identified that gaps in staffing, specialist disordered eating expertise, and governance processes were present for a number of months following the service opening. Although these issues had been addressed by the time of inspection, their presence during the early operational period had a continued impact on patients’ care journeys and contributed to shortfalls in the effectiveness and consistency of care delivered. Leaders had begun addressing these issues through recruitment, training and strengthened governance. Improvements were evident at the time of inspection, but these changes were still relatively recent and not yet fully embedded, meaning further work was needed to ensure sustained, proactive improvement. However, staff treated patients with kindness, involved them in care, and delivered person centred support.

Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance Summary

Staff upheld patients’ rights under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA). They completed detention paperwork accurately, ensured informal patients were not subject to unnecessary restrictions, and explained patients’ rights clearly. Staff conducted effective audits to monitor MHA compliance.

Shortly before our inspection, leaders completed a full audit of MHA compliance and identified that one patient had been unlawfully detained due to administrative errors in paperwork. The provider addressed this promptly and applied duty of candour. Following the previous error in detention paperwork, the service employed a Mental Health Act Administrator to ensure MHA compliance. The administrator was due to start their role at the service in May 2026. In the meantime, oversight of MHA administration increased, with support from the hospital manager and MHA administrators from other Cygnet hospitals.

Staff assessed and recorded capacity appropriately and documented best interest decisions that reflected patients’ wishes, culture, and personal history.

All staff completed MHA training. Policies and procedures reflected current guidance, and patients accessed independent advocacy. Leaders implemented improvements in administration, oversight, and compliance following previous findings and feedback, and these improvements were embedded in practice at the time of our inspection.