A specialist eating disorder hospital, the Shoen Clinic in York run by Newbridge Care Systems, has been placed in special measures and told to make urgent improvements within six months or face closure. The Care Quality Commission has rated the clinic “inadequate” across the board, raising particular concerns that the “unsafe” food was of “unacceptable quality and quantity” and placed patients at risk of psychological and physical harm.
Staff and patients reported that the hospital ran out staple food regularly and did not meet vegan, dairy free or Kosher dietary requirements. One staff member even reported that they had purchased food with their own money because the hospital did not have enough suitable food to meet patients’ needs.
Inspectors also warned of a “closed culture” among staff, and said patients were being put at risk because they were left unobserved for hours at a time. The 15-bed unit takes NHS and private patients from across the country and was described by the CQC as “not safe or fit for purpose”, as ligature risks had not been mitigated and there was limited space for therapies, activities and hosting visitors.
Full story in the HSJ, 22 April 2022
