An independent mental health hospital has been placed in special measures after patients told inspectors that some staff could be vindictive and bullied them.
Inspectors said they were shocked by the leadership failings at Cheswold Park Hospital, in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, which has now been rated inadequate in all areas following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in July which was published on Friday.
The hospital, which is run by Riverside Healthcare Limited and had 86 patients at the time of the unannounced inspection, provides accommodation for adults with mental disorders, as well as autistic people and people with a learning disability, the commission said.
The CQC concluded “staff did not always treat people with compassion and kindness, respect their privacy and dignity, or understand their individual needs” and “the service did not provide safe care”.
It said inspectors witnessed two members of staff standing in front of a woman who was upset and crying but “they didn’t interact with her and the language they used was disrespectful and showed no care for the woman’s obvious distress”.
Inspectors spoke to 34 patients at the hospital and their report said: “Most patients told us that most permanent staff on the wards were doing a great job in a difficult situation due to the lack of staff available, however, they did not always feel safe on the wards.”
It added: “Patients also told us that staff did not always treat them with respect, as some staff made fun of them, did not always knock before entering their bedrooms and bathrooms, and they could also be vindictive and act inappropriately.”
The report also said: “Patients across the hospital told us that staff could be vindictive and that some staff bullied them and made derogatory comments towards them and about their family members.”
The hospital’s rating has been dropped to Inadequate from Requires Improvement and it is now in special measures, which means it will be kept under close review by the CQC.
The commission said it has also issued the hospital with two warning notices and served the provider with a fixed penalty notice of £4,000, as the hospital did not have a registered manager at that time.
Jenny Wilkes, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said it was “shocking to see such a significant shortfall of strong leadership” and “concerning” that the registered manager had not visited the wards in the previous 18 months.
Ms Wilkes said: “We saw some worrying behaviour from staff who were ignoring people at the service and weren’t providing the care and support people deserved.
“During our inspection, we saw two members of staff standing in front of a woman who was upset and crying, while other people were around her having a conversation. They didn’t interact with her and the language they used was disrespectful and showed no care for the woman’s obvious distress.”
She said there were also concerns about staffing levels, with some staff saying their low numbers left them feeling unsafe on the wards.
The hospital said in a statement: “We are incredibly disappointed that the hospital has been rated as inadequate by CQC following their visit last July.
“We have taken all the concerns raised seriously and acted to rectify these with speed. We would like to thank CQC for such a thorough review and assure each of our patients, staff, families and commissioners that we addressed immediately each of the issues raised with us verbally by CQC in July.”
It outlined a series of measures it has taken since the inspection, which included a 10% increase in ward-based staff and a pledge to do the same in 2024 plus strengthening the leadership team, including the appointment of a turnaround director.
The hospital also said it had “immediately dealt with” the two staff members that inspectors observed being disrespectful to a patient.