Concerns raised at St Andrew’s Healthcare Northampton after alleged staff assault
Inspection finds 14 regulation breaches and serious care failings
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published reports on three services at St Andrew’s Healthcare Northampton following an inspection prompted by an alleged assault by a staff member on a patient.
The reports, which chronicle serious issues with care quality and safety, have resulted in the independent mental health hospital remaining in special measures.
The inspection took place in July and August after St Andrew’s Healthcare reported the incident, which was under investigation at the time.
The findings have raised further concerns about care standards at the hospital, leading CQC to impose urgent conditions on its operations, including restricting new admissions pending improvements.
Inspectors identified 14 breaches of regulation related to patient-centred care, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, dignity and respect, good management practices, and staffing levels. Additional conditions have since been imposed on the hospital’s registration to ensure improvements are made and progress is monitored.
Staff and patients raise concerns
The inspection highlighted a number of systemic issues across the hospital’s services. In forensic inpatient and secure wards, staff informed inspectors about a closed culture and described the detrimental effects of cost-saving measures on services and morale.
The inspection revealed inappropriate use of restraint by staff, with some incidents causing harm to patients. Inspectors found unprofessional and abusive behaviour, and some patients reported feeling isolated and unheard.
Services supporting people with acquired brain injuries were downgraded from good to requires improvement. Inspectors found that leaders lacked effective systems for monitoring and addressing risks and opportunities for improvement.
While some people spoke positively about staff, others described poor communication and a lack of interaction during observations.
Wards for older people with mental health problems remained rated as inadequate. There were concerns about chronic staffing shortages, which impacted patient outcomes and compromised safety.
Inspectors noted people in long-term care had limited access to meaningful activities or opportunities to leave the ward, leading to reports of poor quality of life.
Action taken to safeguard patients
Craig Howarth, CQC Deputy Director of Mental Health, emphasised the seriousness of the findings and the need for urgent change:
“During our visit to St Andrews Northampton, it was concerning that improvements hadn’t been made since our previous inspections and people were still at risk of receiving unsafe care.
"This inspection took place due to a serious incident on a ward involving an alleged assault by a member of staff. In addition to this incident, we saw evidence of closed cultures on wards and several other incidents which were improper, abusive, inappropriate and unsafe.
"We have already taken action to restrict new admissions to the service to ensure St Andrew’s can focus on ensuring immediate improvements are made to people already receiving services. We have now imposed further conditions on the service to ensure those required improvements are made and monitored. We won’t hesitate to take further enforcement action if improvements aren’t made or sustained.”
Hospital under close supervision
The CQC will continue overseeing St Andrew’s Healthcare Northampton while the services remain in special measures.
This ensures a structured timeframe for addressing concerns, safeguarding patients, and monitoring progress.
The inspection reports will be available on the CQC’s website in the coming days.