A Haringey mental health trust has been rated as ‘requiring improvement’ by a recent inspection which specified concerns with the safety of inpatient units at St Ann’s Hospital.

Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEH) was given the score by a Care Quality Commission report published today.

The report said the trust did not meet standards in its safety, effectiveness, level of response and leadership and highlighted five of the 11 core services as requiring improvement:

- the acute mental health admission wards for adults

- the community based mental health services

- the child and adolescent mental health ward the Beacon Centre

- the specialist community mental health services for children and young people

- crisis mental health services which include the home treatment teams

BEH’s forensic inpatient wards were rated ‘outstanding’ and the remainder of the services were rated as ‘good’.

The report highlighted that Haringey was a particular cause for concern and said: “We found that these challenges are greater in the borough of Haringey where more improvements are needed.

“We have also concluded that at St Ann’s the physical environment of the three inpatient mental health wards is not fit for purpose due to its age and layout.

“This impacts the trust’s ability to deliver safe services within this environment.”

The report, however, commended the level of care provided by staff working throughout the north London trust and acknowledged that the trust’s chief executive, Maria Kane, had prioritised the key challenges notes by the report.

Ms Kane says, “We will continue to focus on these five services to ensure they match the quality of the rest of our provision.

“However, it is important to say that just because five of our services need to improve it does not mean they are unsafe.

“If that had been the case the CQC would have taken more focused action.

“We are not being complacent, and while we have many areas of fantastic work going on, we know there is still lots to do, and we will do it.

“But, some of the changes required will involve additional investment from our commissioners, and we are in discussion with them as we go into the new financial year.”