Located in Meadowfield near Durham, Cygnet Appletree is a mental health hospital for women that includes Pippin Ward, a specialist PICU service and Bramley Ward, an acute service for women.
The latest inspection was a comprehensive inspection on 19-20 October 2022 assessing all five key lines of enquiry. Following the inspection the service was rated ‘Good’ across all five domains – safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
Inspectors spoke to 14 service users and three carers as part of the inspection and the feedback from them was positive. They said staff treated service users with compassion and kindness and respected their privacy and dignity.
The full report, published on the CQC website, highlights many areas of positive practice, including:
- Staff provided service users with essential toiletries in a welcome pack at the time of admission.
- Staff were discreet, respectful, and responsive when caring for service users.
- Staff used ‘safe wards’ to support service users in the least restrictive way.
- Staff supported, informed and involved families or carers. Service users were encouraged to keep in touch with family through various media platforms.
- Service users were supported to remain in contact with home teams and the inspectors saw good interaction during ward rounds.
- Care plans were personalised, holistic and recovery orientated. Staff regularly reviewed and updated care plans when service users’ needs changed.
- The hospital had taken part in a quality improvement project to reduce the length of stay on Pippin ward and the length of stay was now 20 days.
- Staff used a full range of rooms and equipment to support treatment and care. This included a lounge, quiet rooms, activities area, a gym and a salon.
- Staff had access to monthly wellbeing days and a quarterly wellness survey had been introduced.
Hospital Director Martin Graham said everybody at the service was happy with the result of the inspection.
He added: “I am so pleased with this outcome for the team at Cygnet Appletree. It is confirmation of the great care they provide to service users who come to Appletree at a very difficult time in their lives. All staff have contributed to the growth and success of the hospital and I am very proud of them and the rating we have achieved through teamwork.”
For more information about Cygnet Appletree click here.