The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Broadmoor Hospital, which is run by West London NHS Trust, good following an inspection undertaken in March.
CQC inspected the Berkshire high-secure hospital as such facilities have the potential to become closed cultures. However, inspectors found Broadmoor was not at current risk from this.
The latest inspection found patients were receiving high standards of care and treatment. However, there were some areas where additional progress can be made – including further reducing staff vacancies and ensuring all staff training is completed.
Although the hospital’s rating is unchanged following the latest inspection, previous concerns about the building had been addressed by a move into a new hospital.
In addition to retaining its good overall rating following the latest inspection, the hospital has retained its outstanding rating for being caring. It also retains its good ratings for being effective, responsive to people’s needs and well-led. It remains rated requires improvement for being safe.
Jane Ray, CQC’s head of inspection for mental health and community services, said:
“Our inspection found Broadmoor Hospital’s patients were receiving effective, personalised care that was delivered with kindness and compassion. They also consistently received the safe treatment people have a right to expect.
“Patients spoke highly of the care and support they received. They had many opportunities to express their views and to get involved in the development of the service.
“We found leaders had successfully managed moving from a building that was unfit for purpose to an excellent new facility. Leaders had also reduced the effect of national staffing shortages on the care provided to their patients.
“However, there are some issues the hospital should address, including recruiting more registered staff members.
“The hospital should also ensure all ligature risks are fully mitigated to ensure patients are protected from all risks of avoidable harm.
“We continue to monitor the hospital closely. We will inspect it again to assess whether standards have been maintained or further improvements made.”
Inspectors also found:
- The hospital minimised the impact of COVID-19 for patients, and outbreaks were well-contained.
- Staff and leaders minimised the impact of national staff shortages.
- Patients were treated with compassion and kindness, and they received exemplary care and treatment that was tailored to their individual needs and preferences
- Patients felt respected and valued as individuals. They were empowered as partners in their care.
- Staff protected patients from the risk of abuse, and the hospital worked well with other agencies on safeguarding.
- Patient input was valued and used.
- Wards were clean and well maintained, and all patients, staff and carers described the new facilities as outstanding.
- Staff proactively assessed and managed risks to patients, striking the right balance between ensuring safety and providing the least restrictive environment possible. Staff also followed best practice to anticipate and manage instances where people experienced distress.
- Staff had training in key safety skills, and they managed safety incidents well. They were well supported by systems, processes and policies to keep people safe.
- Managers investigated incidents and complaints, and they shared lessons learned with staff to minimise the risk of reoccurrence.
- Staff from different disciplines worked collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients.
- Staff reported the hospital strongly promoted equality and diversity in its work with patients.
- The hospital had a positive, open and inclusive culture.
- Managers were experienced, knowledgeable and highly skilled. They have been consistently open and honest with CQC about their successes and challenges.
- The hospital used information well to support all its activities, and managers could access this easily.
- High vacancy levels for registered nurses affected the care and treatment patients received. This issue also affected staff morale and participation in supervision sessions and team meetings. In response, recruitment efforts were ongoing.
- Some ligature risks had not been fully mitigated.
- Care plans did not contain enough information for some patients receiving multiple medicines to manage the same condition.
- On Kempton ward, some staff had not completed some training to support them to care for people with personality disorders. Patients on this ward also had reduced access to psychology and occupational therapy.
- Not all staff were familiar with the role of the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, a member of staff who supports their colleagues to raise concerns, or the process for raising concerns more generally.
Notes to editors
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