Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Ratings - Specialist eating disorder services

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

Date of on-site assessment, 9 December 2025.

Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation trust provides a specialist inpatient service for eating disorders. It is a mixed-sex ward for adults aged 18-plus, based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. It is a specialist unit for individuals with an eating disorder who have been assessed by the community team and are considered to need a more intensive approach to the treatment of their eating disorder. Inpatient treatment is provided for individuals with severe anorexia nervosa who are at high risk physically and psychologically.

The service was provided by Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust to carry out the following regulated activities:

Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 Diagnostic and screening procedures.

Treatment of disease, disorder or injury

The last inspection of S3 Ward, specialist eating disorder service took place in September 2019. At that inspection, the provider received an overall rating of good.
We carried out this unannounced assessment due to its aged rating. We assessed all quality statements across Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led key questions.

During this assessment we spoke with staff including hospital managers, nurses and healthcare assistants. We inspected the ward environment and clinic room at the hospital. We observed staff and patient interactions on these wards. We reviewed patient care records, patient prescription charts and reviewed minutes of various meetings, policies and procedures, data and documents relevant to the running of the service.

At our last assessment we rated this service as Good overall. At this assessment the rating remains Good.

People's experience of this service

During this inspection we spoke with 4 patients and 4 carers. There was a mixture of positive and negative feedback. Patients told us they knew how to raise concerns, but that feedback was not always received well by staff. Patients said they would like more choices in relation to food, and there was not enough space for groups and family visits. Three out of 4 carers were positive about the care their relative was receiving, and 1 said the service was not meeting individual needs.

The carers we spoke with all said the ward was clean and that their relative was safe. Three out of 4 carers said they valued the family ambassador.