A MENTAL health hospital in Bradford has improved to achieve Good rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

The health watchdog visited Cygnet Hospital Bierley, on Bierley Lane, in November.

The rating marks an improvement for the hospital, which following its last inspection in April 2018 was rated as Requires Improvement.

It provides care for 63 male and female patients across four different wards.

A report released by inspectors after the report said: “The service was well-led, and the governance processes ensured that ward procedures ran smoothly.

“The service had made improvements in their governance systems since our last inspection. Previous breaches of regulation and areas where we had identified the provider should take action to improve the service had been addressed.”

It said the wards were “safe and clean”, with enough nurses and doctors who “minimised the use of restrictive practices and followed good practice with respect to safeguarding”.

The report added: “Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness and understood the individual needs of patients. They actively involved patients and families and carers in care decisions through involvement in care planning and review meetings.”

While the hospital was rated as Good overall, the inspection question relating to safety was rated as Requires Improvement.

“The service did not consistently provide safe care with regards to the management of medicines including in relation to prescribing, administering, recording and storing medicines," inspectors said.

“On the psychiatric intensive care unit and low-secure forensic wards staff did not always keep accurate records of the treatment patients received and did not consistently administer medication in the manner prescribed.”

The report added consent to treatment documents were not always signed by patients, or the responsible clinician, and were not all reviewed in a timely manner.

“On the psychiatric intensive care unit staff did not follow systems and processes to accurately record, store and dispose of illicit substances brought onto the ward,” said the report. Cygnet said that where it has been identified that further action is needed to continue its improvement, a robust action plan is in place to address this and to ensure a high standard of care.

Hospital manager Jenny McVinnie said: “The team are very proud of this CQC report, which reflects the hard work of everyone at Cygnet Hospital Bierley, our dedication to continuous improvement as a service and the passion staff show in caring for people. We are delighted that this upgraded rating recognises the kind, compassionate and dignified nature of the person centred care we provide”.

Dr Tony Romero, CEO of Cygnet Health Care, added: “It is fantastic to see the kindness of staff at Cygnet Hospital Bierley highlighted by the CQC.

"This ‘Good’ rating is a reflection of the commitment of the team to providing high quality care through continuous innovation and the report highlights the Relaxation Workshop as an excellent example of this, for which they were recently honoured with an award."