Uplands Independent Hospital in Fareham requires improvement after being placed in special measures last year, according to health watchdog CQC

The latest report from The Care Quality Commission comes after inspectors conducted an unannounced inspection of the hospital on October 19 and 20.

According to report, the service requires improvement in the areas of safety, care, effectiveness, and leadership, while the site had earned a 'good’ rating when it comes to being responsive.

The hospital – which offers long stay and rehabilitation services focusing on mental health for up to 24 people – was rated as inadequate and placed it in special measures in January 2022.

Management vowed to make ‘sustainable improvements’ after the damning inspection in January last year, which found that patients ‘didn’t always feel safe’ and that some staff could be ‘threatening’.

During the most recent inspection, watchdog visitors decided that the hospital had maintained the improvements found during a visit in June, and staff had continued to make progress with the areas that required improvement outlined in their action plan.

But staffing levels remained a source of concern, according to inspectors, who found that the ward focused ‘more on the number of patients rather than the care they needed’.

Writing in the report, a healthcare inspector said: ‘Not all patients had access to a nurse call system in their bedrooms so would be unable to call for help if they needed to.

‘The provider had reduced the number of registered nurses on duty, since our last inspection, as the number of patients admitted to the hospital had reduced.

‘Staff told us that they sometimes had to cancel escorted community leave because of staffing numbers.’

Staff responsiveness was good, inspectors found, with staff making sure that families or carers were invited to multi-disciplinary meetings and other relevant meetings when appropriate.

A spokesman from Uplands Independent Hospital said the hospital had undertaken ‘a significant programme of change’ over the last year.

He said: ‘We are aware of the recent publication of the CQC report on Uplands Independent Hospital, following an inspection in October.

‘As noted in the report, we have been working closely with the CQC to implement a comprehensive action plan and we are pleased that this has resulted in a more positive report and an improved rating.

‘We have undertaken a significant programme of change over the last year and will continue to build on the improvements we have made including environmental changes, patient and family involvement and the embedding of our new clinical model.’

In 2014, a police probe was launched after a whistler blower reported alleged abuse and failings at the hospital, with a subsequent CQC report requiring improvement in safeguarding and welfare standards.