Forest Hospital

Updated 24 June 2026

We assessed Barchester Forest Hospital from 17 March 2026- 01 April 2026. This assessment included an on site inspection visit.

We assessed Forest Hospital as the rating was aged. We last inspected Barchester Forest Hospital in October 2019, which resulted in a rating of good for the service.

Forest Hospital was registered with CQC in November 2010 to deliver the regulated activities:

• Assessment or medical treatment for patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The service had a controlled drugs accountable officer and a Registered Manager.

Barchester Forest Hospital provides a long-term care setting for male patients over the age of 18 with complex needs. Typical diagnoses include dementia, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s Disease, Korsakoff's and depression. Patients may be detained under the Mental Health Act (1983), detained under deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) or be informal.

At this assessment we identified breaches of regulations 12 (safe care and treatment) and 17 (good governance).

At this assessment we assessed 1 assessment service group; Long stay or rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults where we assessed all quality statements.

We have assessed the location against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed patients with a learning disability and autistic patients respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most patients take for granted. We have assessed the location against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed patients with a learning disability and autistic patients respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most patients take for granted. Staff completed appropriate training to enable them to support patients with a learning disability and autistic patients. The provider reported 100% of staff completed Oliver McGowan training.

We rated the location as requires improvement. In Long stay or rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults we found breaches of regulations 12 (safe care and treatment) and 17 (good governance) in relation to medicines management; safety and cleanliness of the environment; care records and governance.

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

Updated 23 December 2025

We assessed Barchester Forest Hospital from 17 March 2026- 01 April 2026. This assessment included an on site inspection visit.

We assessed Forest Hospital as the rating was aged. Forest Hospital was last inspected in October 2019 and rated as good.

Since our last inspection visit the hospital closed the female ward. We visited the following ward as part of the assessment:

Maltby ward; a long stay ward for men with 15 beds (11 patients at the time of our site visit)

At this assessment we found breaches of regulations 12 (safe care and treatment) and 17 (good governance) in relation to medicines management; safety and cleanliness of the environment; care records and governance. We found the provider addressed breaches of regulation 12 identified at the previous inspection in relation to staff not consistently carrying out observations of patient’s physical health, medicines cupboards not being clean, staff not acting on increases in medicine fridge temperatures and staff not completing accurate observation records.

The service was in breach of regulations 12 (safe care and treatment) and 17 (good governance).

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

Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act Compliance Summary

Mental Health Act

Staff were trained in the Mental Health Act, the Code of Practice and the guiding principles. The provider had relevant policies and procedures that reflected the most recent guidance that staff had easy access to. Patients had easy access to information about independent mental health advocacy. Staff explained to patients their rights under the Mental Health Act in a way that they could understand. Staff requested an opinion from a second opinion appointed doctor when necessary. Staff stored copies of patients' detention papers and associated records correctly.

Mental Capacity Act

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, in particular the five statutory principles. The provider had a policy on the Mental Capacity Act, including deprivation of liberty safeguards. Staff took all practical steps to enable patients to make their own decisions. When patients lacked capacity, staff made decisions in their best interests, recognising the importance of the patient’s wishes, feelings, culture and history. The service had arrangements to monitor adherence to the Mental Capacity Act.