The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated acute wards for adults of working age and psychiatric intensive care units at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as outstanding, following a July inspection.
The inspection was focused on the trust’s inpatient mental health care over two hospital sites, St Mary’s Hospital in Kettering and Berrywood Hospital in Northampton, which have acute mental health care wards and provide psychiatric intensive care services.
As well as the overall rating, the ratings for effective and well-led are outstanding. The ratings for safe, caring, and responsive are good.
Gemma Berry, CQC deputy director of Mental Health in the Midlands, said:
“When we inspected the service, we found a strong leadership who created an exceptional culture of learning, openness, and continuous improvement, which led to better results for people using the service.
“People and carers we spoke to were overwhelmingly positive about the care they received, describing staff as kind, supportive, and professional.
“Care plans were comprehensive and consistently person-centred. Staff were proactive and constantly adapting to people’s needs; one person was provided with a temporary care plan so they could attend a local hospital with minimal distress.
“Staff and leaders should be proud of the level of care they are providing to people at a very vulnerable time in their lives. The findings of this report are testament to the impact of their hard work.”
Inspectors found:
- The service demonstrated innovation in several areas. These included developing a sexual health screening pathway and supporting people with complex physical health needs to remain within the service. They also introduced new approaches to managing self-harm risks and participating in national quality improvement and accreditation programmes.
- Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health Act Code of Practice and the Mental Capacity Act and discharged these well.
- Staff recognised the close relationship between physical and mental health and worked with people to identify health risks early and prevent avoidable deterioration.
- Staff had developed environments and approaches that promoted inclusion and reduced distress for neurodivergent patients. Many wards provided access to sensory rooms and equipment, such as weighted blankets.
- Staff survey results for 2025–2026 reflected the positive culture we observed during the inspection. Staff reported positively on themes including compassion and inclusion, teamwork and engagement.