Cheswold Park Hospital Removed from Special Measures Status

A mental health hospital in South Yorkshire has been taken out of special measures following a recent inspection, a regulatory body announced. Cheswold Park Hospital in Doncaster was managed by Riverside Healthcare Limited when it was initially placed into special measures in late 2023. However, the facility has been under NHS management since the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection, which occurred in May and June. The CQC determined that patients felt secure and the service had improved, yet stated that “the overall rating remains inadequate” because an insufficient number of areas were reviewed to alter the rating. The South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which assumed operational control of the hospital in October, indicated that this development would assist it to “move forward in its improvement journey.” The hospital is a 112-bed low and medium-secure mental health facility that provides services to adults diagnosed with mental illness, personality disorder, or neurodevelopmental disorders. The most recent inspection aimed to address previous concerns regarding the care and treatment provided to individuals, along with additional issues concerning its patient leave policy. The CQC report noted that patients had designated areas for quiet time, but leave from the hospital grounds was sometimes cancelled due to understaffing. It also stated that families and carers were kept informed, knew whom to contact with concerns, and were invited to relevant meetings about their loved ones. The CQC reported that the hospital’s rating for being “safe and responsive” had improved from “inadequate” to “requires improvement,” while the “caring, effective and well-led” category continued to be rated as “inadequate.” In a statement, the NHS trust commented: “The CQC inspection relates to a time when Cheswold Park Hospital was run by Riverside Healthcare.” It further added, “We will ensure that learning opportunities presented by the CQC inspection are followed through and that we help the hospital move forward in its improvement journey.”