- Independent mental health service
Cygnet Hospital Maidstone
Report from 24 April 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
We assessed this hospital on 4 and 5 June 2025.
Following the last inspection in June 2023, the provider was issued a Warning Notice under Section 29 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 due to our concerns regarding the management of ligature risks, and therefore patients were not receiving safe care and treatment under regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (regulated activities). The provider was also in breach of regulation 10 (dignity and respect), regulation 9 (person-centred care), regulation 17 (good governance) and regulation 18 (staffing) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (regulated activities). We conducted this assessment to follow up on the concerns identified in the Warning Notice and due to patient safety concerns we had received from patients and statutory notifications.
Cygnet Hospital Maidstone is a purpose built, 63-bed mental health facility for adults. The hospital has 4 wards:
Roseacre Ward is a 16 bed service for women with a personality disorder. Roseacre Ward is designed to a Tier 4 specification, commissioned by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). The aim of the service is to support patients to manage their mental health, develop coping strategies, reinforce daily living skills, and prepare for a return to independent living. Roseacre Ward provides a care pathway for patients who are preparing to step down to community living and uses a recovery focused model. The ward supports individuals with primary diagnoses of personality disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar affective disorder and depression.
Bearsted Ward is a 15 bed male Psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) that accepts emergency and crisis admissions. Referrals are accepted from all areas, including acute and prison services. The ward provides support for individuals experiencing difficulties that present a risk to the well-being of themselves or others that cannot be treated in an open environment.
Kingswood Ward is a 16 bed ward providing acute and high dependency support for men with complex mental health needs. The service outlined their high dependency rehabilitation service as a recovery focused service delivering high quality care, balancing risk management with therapeutic optimism and encouraging men to build upon skills needed to move towards the least restrictive care option or return to the community. Kingswood Ward provides a pathway for men from Saltwood Ward requiring a stepdown to a lower level of security.
Saltwood Ward provides a 16 bed low secure service for men with enduring mental illness, including those with a personality disorder. Cygnet Hospital Maidstone is a core and active provider partner in the South East (KSS) Provider Collaborative for Adult Secure Services.
Cygnet Hospital Maidstone was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 5 October 2018 to provide:
- Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983,
- Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
The service had a registered manager in place.
Our last comprehensive inspection of this service took place on 6 and 7 June 2023. Following that inspection, we rated the provider requires improvement overall with a rating of good in the responsive domain.
We assessed all 3 assessment service groups during this assessment. These were forensic inpatient and secure wards, acute wards for working age adults and psychiatric intensive care units, and Long stay or rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults. At this inspection, we assessed all 33 quality statements across the Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led key questions.
We rated the service as good. The service had made improvements and is no longer in breach of regulations.