Cygnet Hospital Wyke: Mental health hospital near Brighouse put in special measures after inspectors found wards with 'food on the floor, stained furniture, cigarette ends and ripped furniture'

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Cygnet Hospital Wyke, on Huddersfield Road near Bailiff Bridge, inadequate after an inspection revealed wards with “food on the floor, stained furniture, cigarette ends in the lounge and some of the furniture was ripped”.

The CQC has placed the home in special measures “to keep people safe”.

The move comes after the inspection in January found significant improvements needed to be made, says the CQC.

The inspection took place due to concerns the CQC received about the quality of care being provided to people.

The service will be kept under close review and, if the CQC do not propose to cancel their registration, there will be a re-inspection to check for significant improvements.

Sheila Grant, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “Over the last few years, Cygnet Hospital Wyke has a history of providing care which is below the standard that people have a right to expect, despite several interventions by CQC.

"There is a history of us telling the hospital where they need to improve but the changes not being widespread, rapid, or embedded well enough to be sustained, which is what we found again at this most recent inspection.”

Inspectors said the service did not manage medicines, medicine fridges and medical supplies safely and risk assessments were not always complete.

There were out-of-date medical supplies in the clinic room, said inspectors, with some of the equipment out of date by three years.

People weren’t always cared for in wards which were safe, clean, well equipped or fit for purpose. There was food on the floor, stained furniture, cigarette ends in the lounge and ripped furniture.

Staff on one ward did not always understand the individual needs of people and did not always actively involve families and carers in care decisions.

The inspector did find that there were enough staff working on the wards to keep people safe, with enough nurses and doctors, and teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of people on the wards.

Therapeutic activities took place and people described things they enjoyed doing both on and off the wards.

A spokesperson for Cygnet Hospital Wyke said: “We are disappointed with the outcome of this inspection and the overall rating that has been given.

“Whilst we recognise and respect the importance of regulatory scrutiny, on this occasion we feel the outcome does not reflect the whole hospital setting, nor does it reflect wider feedback from professional stakeholders and authorities who regularly visit and inspect the service.

“The CQC has confirmed this inspection was one of the very last to be conducted under their old methodology. We have therefore requested a review of this rating and would welcome a return visit by the inspection team using the CQC’s new assessment framework, which calculates ratings differently.

“However, we are not complacent and have already begun ensuring improvements are made where required and that those in our care, and their loved ones, are assured of our commitment to high-quality care.”