- SERVICE PROVIDER
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
This is an organisation that runs the health and social care services we inspect
Assessment report published 27 October 2026
Contents
Ratings - Wards for older people with mental health problems
Our view of the service
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust wards for older people with mental health problems provide inpatient assessment, care and treatment for older patients with organic and functional mental illnesses. The service is provided in 1 hospital site at Prospect Park Hospital across 2 wards; Rowan and Orchid. Both wards can accommodate up to 20 patients at a time and offer mixed sex wards. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection looking at all 5 domains; Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Our inspection was unannounced which meant that staff did not know we were coming. This enabled us to observe routine activity on the wards.
We visited the service on 30 June and 1 July 2026.
We inspected the service due to an aged rating. This service was last inspected in 2018. At that inspection, the service was rated good overall and in all 5 domains. We found no breaches of the Health and Social Care Act regulations (2008).
Following this inspection our rating of the service remained good. We found no breaches of the Health and Social Care Act regulations (2008).
People's experience of this service
Overall peoples experience of this service was good. One of the strongest themes was that they felt safe and heard on both wards. Comments included that they felt safe and looked after. Family members commented on the cleanliness of the wards as well as positive feedback about the staff. This included how approachable staff were.
Relatives consistently described effective care planning with family meetings with staff and attendance at ward meetings.
However, two patients expressed concerns about other patients disturbing them at night, Overall, feedback from service users, relatives and direct observations painted a consistently positive picture across both Rowan and Orchid Wards. The strongest themes related to compassionate care, patient safety, effective communication with families and positive clinical outcomes, with only a small number of suggestions for improvement around a wider range of activities and food choices.