Whipton Hospital

Updated 17 April 2014

Whipton Hospital is located on the outskirts of Exeter. Devon Partnership Trust NHS has a specialist service on this site called the Additional Support Unit which is an inpatient assessment and treatment service for up to five patients who have a learning disability. We visited the unit together with two professional advisors on 4 February 2014. There were five patients on the unit and four patients were detained there under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is a Mental Health and Learning Disability Trust which was established in 2001 and has six hospital sites across Devon and Torbay. The trust employs approximately 2,500 staff and also has 100 staff assigned from Devon County Council and Torbay Unitary Authority, including social workers and support workers. Devon Partnership Trust serves a large geographical area with a population of more than 890,000 people and has an annual budget of around £130 million. The trust services fall into three areas of care:

• Mental Wellbeing and Access – for people experiencing a common mental health problem for the first time who need more help than their GP can provide.
• Recovery and Independent Living – for people with longer-term and more complex needs.
• Urgent and Inpatient Care – for people with severe mental health difficulties, in crisis or experiencing distress and who may require a stay in hospital.

At any one time, the trust provides care for around 19,000 people in Devon and Torbay. The vast majority of these people receive care and treatment in the community. A small number may need a short spell of hospital care to support their recovery if they become very unwell and an even smaller number will have severe and enduring needs that require long-term care. Teams include psychiatrists, psychologists, specialist nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and support workers. The team also has access to speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and community services on a contracted basis.

In May 2012, the hospital was inspected by the Care Quality Commission when it was found to be meeting all essential standards in quality and safety in areas of dignity and respect, care and welfare, protecting people from abuse, and record keeping. 

Updated 17 April 2014

Whipton Hospital is located on the outskirts of Exeter. Devon Partnership Trust has a specialist service on this site called the Additional Support Unit which is an inpatient assessment and treatment service for up to five patients who have a learning disability. When we visited, there were five patients on the unit and four patients were detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

We found many good areas of practice at Whipton Hospital. Staff felt confident to raise concerns about the practice of other staff and that action would be taken as a result. This meant that patients were safeguarded from harm and abuse. Staff had an understanding of what they needed to do to make improvements to benefit patients.

Staff received the training and support they needed to meet patients’ individual needs to ensure their wellbeing. There were just below two whole time equivalent band five staff vacancies out of a total resource of nearly 37 staff working at the hospital. In addition, the service had significant numbers of staff on maternity and long-term sick leave. Established and consistent agency personnel were used to cover these vacancies.

Patients had detailed and comprehensive care plans that showed staff how to support them and patients were involved in these. We saw that patients were supported to have regular health checks to ensure their wellbeing. Overall, records where well-maintained, comprehensive, up to date and regularly reviewed. We looked at records which showed that patients had their rights under the Mental Health Act 1983 respected and that access to Independent Mental Health Advocates was supported and encouraged.

Staff worked with the team of professionals involved in each patient’s care to ensure that all the patients’ needs were met. Staff worked with other providers so that when each patient was discharged they received the support they needed.                                       

The environment was well maintained and the majority of procedures and processes in place ensured that patients were kept safe from risk and hazards.

We spoke with three relatives and three patients who were very pleased with the service. Staff were described as “absolutely magnificent”, “extremely caring, understanding and are sensitive to patients’ needs”. One person said that that the short notice cancellation of some meetings was frustrating and inconvenient but that the staff were brilliant. One patient told us, “The staff get me all the meals and drinks I need”.

There were three areas for improvement identified. These were to ensure that blanket restrictions such preventing people from accessing the kitchen are reviewed to check they are still needed. Supporting people to promote their independence through the development of daily living skills should be explored. Fridge and freezer temperatures should be monitored at the appropriate frequency to ensure food is safely stored.

Updated 17 April 2014

Whipton Hospital accommodates the Additional Support Unit, which is an inpatient assessment and treatment service for up to five patients who have a learning disability. We visited the unit together with two professional advisors on 4 February 2014. There were five patients on the unit and four patients were detained there under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Staff were confident to raise concerns about the practice of other staff and that action would be taken as a result. This meant that patients were safeguarded from harm and abuse. Staff had an understanding of what they needed to do to make improvements to benefit patients.

Staff received the training and support they needed to meet patients’ individual needs to ensure their wellbeing. There were just below two whole time equivalent band five staff vacancies. In addition the service had significant numbers of staff on maternity and long-term sick leave. Established and consistent agency personnel were used to cover these vacancies.

Patients had detailed and comprehensive care plans that showed staff how to support them and patients were involved in these. We saw that patients were supported to have regular health checks to ensure their wellbeing. Overall records where well maintained, comprehensive, up to date and regularly reviewed. We looked at records which showed that patients had their rights under the Mental Health Act 1983 respected and that access to Independent Mental Health Advocates was supported and encouraged.

Staff worked with the team of professionals involved in each patient’s care to ensure that all the patients’ needs were met. Staff worked with other providers so that when each patient was discharged they received the support they needed.

The environment was well maintained and the majority of procedures and processes in place ensured that patients were kept safe from risks and hazards.