Inspectors find wards at Newcastle Mental Health Clinic 'not fit for purpose'

A North East NHS Trust has been told improvements must be made to one of its mental health clinics in Newcastle.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission found acute wards at the Hadrian Clinic on Westgate Road were "not fit for purpose" during a visit in December 2022.

The inspection took place following concerns about the safety and quality of the service and found the site to be "noisy" and "dirty".

Sarah Dronsfield, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “We found a service that wasn’t fit for purpose, ward areas were small rooms and there was limited outside space and communal areas for people to use.

“None of the bedrooms on any of the wards had bathroom facilities and there were only two communal toilets on each of the wards. The décor was dated, and wards were noisy.

"When we looked at the Lowry ward, the ground floor was dirty with cigarette butts and paper cups lying around. Nobody should have to access health and social care services in this state.

“We highlighted our concerns to senior leaders who were already aware of the issues. They have now reviewed the hospital site and sent us a copy of an action plan which informs us of interim measures being put in place until the three wards we inspected relocate to the Bamburgh Clinic at St Nicholas Hospital, in spring 2024.

“We will work closely with the trust to ensure improvements have been made so people are living in a more comfortable environment that meets their needs, until the new building is completed next year, as everyone using Hadrian Clinic deserves a high standard of care.”

The Hadrian Clinic is for adults with a mental illness who need hospital assessment and treatment. The service is run by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

As this was a focused inspection, the service was not rated, therefore it remains rated as good overall.

It also remains rated as good for being effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Safety remains rated as requires improvement.

James Duncan, chief executive at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are aware that our wards are not fit for purpose, which is why they are part of our Care Environment Development and Reprovision (CEDAR) programme."

"This is a multi-million pound investment in which we are moving, building and redeveloping several of our facilities to ensure we can deliver high-quality care in modern, safe, therapeutic environments. Work on this programme is continuing at pace, and we aim to move all three wards to the redeveloped Bamburgh Clinic at St Nicholas Hospital in spring 2024.

“We are fully committed to ensuring that all necessary improvements are made, and will work closely with the CQC and other partners throughout. I am also pleased that this report also recognises the compassionate and person-centered care given by our staff on these wards, in often difficult circumstances.”

Other findings in the inspection include the service's reliance on bank and agency staff to cover increased staffing levels.

Inspectors also highlighted that staff were not receiving training to help manage people’s needs and keep them safe and the unit was located on an old hospital site where there were several derelict buildings. 

Some positives were also raised during the inspection. Most staff felt respected, supported and valued, focussing on the needs of people receiving care.

It was highlighted that the service also managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them, and leaders understood the issues on the unit and were putting interim measures in place to support people and staff until the wards could be relocated.

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