The Care Quality Commission
  • Mental Health
  • NHS mental health service

Archived: Park House

North Manchester General Hospital, Delauneys Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M8 5RB (0161) 720 2001

Provided and run by:
Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust

Important: This service is now managed by a different provider - see new profile

All Inspections

Other CQC inspections of services

Community & mental health inspection reports for Park House can be found at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust. Each report covers findings for one service across multiple locations
Read inspection report

24 March 2015

During an inspection of this service

4 October 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

When we visited in November 2012, we found that people who used the service, staff and visitors were not protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises because patients did not have sufficient secure storage space for personal belongings. We also raised other environmental issues including heating on the older people's wards, access to fresh air for patients and potential delays in accessing emergency equipment due to the layout of the clinics. We judged that these issues had a moderate impact on people using the service and we issued a compliance action.

The provider sent an action plan telling us how they were going to improve the premises.

On this visit, we checked that the provider had taken the action necessary.

We spoke with several patients during our visit. Where patients commented on the environment they were generally positive . One patient told us: "It's always nice and clean. It's warm enough at night". Another person said: 'It seems well organised and has good toilet facilities.' A third person said: "It's completely modernised. It's a good place...they've got me well".

People on the older people's ward said that the heating was OK but did comment on the doors to the outside area. One person said "I had to tell them to shut the door as it was open and it was cold". People said they were generally warm but did wonder whether the temperature would be maintained in the colder months. This was summed up by one person who said "I don't know what it'll be like in the winter".

We also heard some people commenting on the move from Edale House. This was because they had received hospital care on wards with largely single bedrooms at Edale House; whereas Park House mainly provided wards with 4 bedded bays with bed-spaces separated by curtains.

We found that improvements had been made to the environment of the wards at Park House through improved storage for patients, improved heating on the older people's wards, improved access to fresh air and improved layout of clinics to enable better access of emergency equipment. People who use the service, staff and visitors were therefore protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises.

7 November 2012

During a routine inspection

On this visit, we visited several wards at Park House, North Manchester General Hospital including admission, psychiatric intensive care, acute, older adults and the rehabilitation and recovery wards. We visited with the Mental Health Act Commissioner who considered whether the Trust was working within the Mental Health Act and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice.

We spoke with several informal and detained patients during our visit. We made contact with people in the communal areas of the ward and also saw patients in private where appropriate. The wards at North Manchester were locked to help keep patients safe. We asked informal patient about their rights to leave the ward. One patient told us: 'They said I could take my own discharge.' Where patients commented on the environment, it was mainly to talk about the move from Edale Unit which was largely single bedrooms to Park House which was mainly wards with 4 bedded bays with some single rooms. Patients generally told us they preferred the wards at Edale Unit because it was more private with individual bedrooms. Detained patients told us that they had been given information about their rights.

We found that the Trust was compliant with the outcomes we looked at apart from the outcome relating to premises. This was due to a number of reasons including the lack of storage space, inadequate heating on the older people's ward, safety issues on one ward, the design of the clinics and access to emergency equipment.

5 July 2012

During an inspection in response to concerns

We visited Safire ward to look at relevant essential standards following a serious incident on the ward earlier this year. Safire ward is the Swift Assessment For the Immediate Resolution of Emergencies (SAFIRE) Unit and provided support to individuals who were suffering from mental health crisis. The aim of the eight bedded unit is to provide an environment where further assessment can be carried out in order to find an alternative inpatient admission.

We went with a Mental Health Act Commissioner. The Mental Health Act Commissioner considers whether the Mental Health Act and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice is being followed. They also proactively visit and interview people who are detained under the Mental Health Act.

We spoke with three 'informal' patients - these patients were not detained under the Mental Health Act. The Mental Health Act Commissioner interviewed three detained patients.

People were generally happy with the care they received on the ward by the nursing staff. Most of the people we spoke with raised concerns about the lack of recent medical input. This was summed up by one person who said; "I've only seen the doctor once when I was first admitted". People also commented on the lack of activities which would not be an issue if there were delays about being moved on from the ward within the expected 72 hour timeframe.

3 October 2011

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We visited four wards across two sites and spoke to people who use services and their relatives. Generally people made positive comments about how they were cared for. They said that they felt staff listened to them and that they generally felt involved in their care. Some of the people we spoke to were aware of their care plan and knew what was in it. In two instances people said that staff spoke to them but they would like more information. We told the staff this and they said they would speak to them. Comments included: '"The staff in here are lovely, they are always here when you need them.'' and "I have had very good care here."

On the working age wards people told us that the amount of activities available had increased recently but they would like more. On the older age ward we visited, we were told that there was not much to do on the ward.

29 March 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

People were generally happy with the care they were receiving. People who use services told us that generally they were happy with the staff. They felt that staff listened to them and felt involved in their care. Comments included 'Staff are really brilliant', 'This ward is absolutely brilliant', 'I trust all the nurses', and 'The staff are always helpful; I'm getting sorted out here'. One relative was not happy with the level of support offered to their relative and was not happy with the time taken to get written information about the ward.