The Cardinal Clinic

Updated 13 June 2019

The Cardinal Clinic is an independent hospital providing acute inpatient care for working age adults experiencing mental health problems. The clinic has 23 individual bedrooms for men and women. At the time of our inspection there were 14 patients receiving treatment at the service. The clinic provides general mental healthcare as well as an eating disorder programme, drug and alcohol detoxification programmes and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. A day patient service is provided for patients who require access to a treatment programme but do not require admission, or for clients to step down to following an admission. Consultants and therapists also offer outpatient appointments for a variety of patient groups including children and adolescents.

Clients at The Cardinal Clinic either self-fund their treatment or it is funded by health insurance. In 2018, the clinic delivered 307 inpatient admissions, 1500 day patient sessions and 20000 outpatient appointments.

For the purpose of the inspection we have inspected this under the core service framework ‘acute wards for adults of working age’.

The Cardinal Clinic is registered to provide accommodation for persons who require treatment for substance misuse; treatment of disease, disorder or injury and assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act (1983).

At the time of our inspection none of the patients receiving treatment at the clinic were detained under the Mental Health Act.

There was a registered manager in post.

The clinic had previously been inspected in March 2014 and November 2016 when the clinic was rated good. No breaches in regulation were identified.

Updated 13 June 2019

We rated The Cardinal Clinic as good because:

• A strong ethos of person-centred care was visible throughout the clinic and patients were actively involved in their care. We observed staff treating patients with kindness, dignity and respect at all times during the inspection. Staff at all levels went above and beyond to ensure that they met the needs of patients and feedback we received from patients, relatives and stakeholders was unanimously positive.
• Staff involved patients and their relatives as active partners in their care. Patients and relatives felt involved in their care and treatment and staff provided ample opportunities for them to offer feedback.
• Staff ensured that patients remained in contact with people who mattered to them. Friends and family were encouraged to visit patients and invited to join them for meals on weekends. Staff offered support to relatives via a weekly support group or on an individual basis. A relative told us they found this support invaluable.
• The clinic was well staffed with a multidisciplinary team who worked together to best meet the needs of patients. Staff were well supported by managers who ensured that appraisals, supervision and reflective practice were in place.
• Managers provided a strong and visible presence within the service. Staff and patients had faith in the leadership at the clinic. They told us managers were always approachable and willing to listen to any comments or suggestions they had. Morale within the staff team was high.
• The clinic environment was tranquil and relaxing. The buildings and grounds were well maintained and clean throughout. All of the patients we spoke with praised the environment and felt it had helped to aid their recovery.
• Patients had access to psychological therapies in both a group and one to one setting. There was also a varied programme of activities available seven days a week. Patients told us their time was always occupied.
• Staff knew how to report incidents and had a good understanding of lessons that had been learned following incidents. Managers were open and honest with patients when any incidents occurred. A no blame culture was observed, with staff keen to learn from incidents to prevent them from happening again.
• Staff worked hard to develop relationships with other organisations locally, for example a general practitioner and mutual aid organisations. Staff ran events to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing in the local community. They also delivered monthly continuing professional development sessions for other local professionals.
• Robust governance structures were in place with clear lines of accountability. An audit programme was in place and we saw evidence that audit results were reviewed by the relevant governance committees. There were clear processes in place for any actions identified from audits to be passed on to staff and mechanisms in place to monitor these.

Updated 13 June 2019