Cygnet Hospital Beckton upgraded to Good following care improvements

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has upgraded Cygnet Hospital Beckton’s overall rating from Requires Improvement to Good following improvements to its acute wards, psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) and personality disorder services.

The inspection, carried out in June, followed up on regulatory breaches identified during the hospital’s previous inspection. The CQC found that the necessary improvements had been made and the hospital was no longer in breach of the regulations.

Cygnet Hospital Beckton, run by Cygnet Health Care Limited, is a 58-bed hospital providing mental health services for women of working age. Its acute and PICU services operate across Hooper and Svanna wards, while New Dawn and Upping wards provide personality disorder services.

The CQC upgraded the overall ratings for both the acute and PICU services and the personality disorder services from Requires Improvement to Good. All five key questions – safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led – were rated Good. The hospital’s overall rating, along with its ratings for safe and well-led, also improved to Good, while effective, caring and responsive remained Good.

The CQC found that people were involved in planning their care, understood their rights around consent and decision-making, and knew how to provide feedback. Independent advocacy services were accessible, with advocates visiting the wards regularly.

Inspectors also found improvements in medicines management and physical health monitoring, including appropriate blood tests and electrocardiograms (ECGs). Staff supported people’s health, wellbeing and independence, while helping them maintain contact with loved ones and access education, work opportunities, sports and therapeutic activities.

Leaders had strengthened safety risk management, staff training and supervision. Inspectors also found that discharge planning was coordinated to meet people’s needs and interests, and that information was provided in formats suited to individual communication requirements.

The CQC reported that staff felt respected and described an open, supportive workplace culture. Its deputy director of mental health in the south, Serena Coleman, highlighted the progress made in addressing the previous inspection’s concerns and said the regulator would continue monitoring the hospital to ensure it maintained safe and effective care.

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