'Not safe' youth mental health hospital in Taplow set to close down

A troubled mental health hospital for young people that has long been beset with problems and controversies will shut down - after being branded 'not safe' in an inspection report last week.

Inspectors gave a damning report to Taplow Manor, formerly known as Huntercombe Hospital Maidenhead.

Taplow Manor is a specialist child and adolescent mental health inpatient service (CAMHS) in Huntercombe Lane South for 12–18-year-olds.

The service has come under intense scrutiny before. In December, police began investigating the alleged rape of a patient there.

The hospital was also the subject of a series of news reports, following an investigation by the Independent and Sky News.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected it in December and its rating dropped from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘inadequate’.

There were a number of failings, including problems with restraint and lack of cleanliness - read the full report here.

The service hit back, saying: “We do not accept this rating as a fair assessment of Taplow Manor.

“We feel this is a reaction to recent media reports citing unsubstantiated allegations and the rating is disproportionate to the findings and the improvements that have been made.”

The group felt the CQC did not give enough credit for the ‘significantly improved’ procedures and investigation of incidents; compliance with safeguarding training; and the ‘kindness and respect’ staff showed to young people and their families.

Despite all this, it was announced on Wednesday that the hospital would close down.

A spokesperson for Active Care group, which runs Taplow Manor said this was a ‘direct result’ of the Thames Valley Provider Collaborative stopping admissions to Tamar and Kennet Wards, the hospital’s acute and eating disorder wards.

While the hospital’s Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) has been left open, the ‘pause to admissions’ on the other wards has now made this aspect of the service ‘untenable’.

“Due to patient numbers reducing, we will lose specialist staff and therefore the ability to provide an effective and safe service to these young people,” the spokesperson said.

As such, under the terms of its contract with the NHS, the service is ‘no longer able to guarantee’ it has the required resources to deliver CAMHS services.

“This is the worst outcome for patients,” the spokesperson said.

It is working with commissioners on a date for all CAMHS patients to be moved from the hospital by the end of May.