A HAMPSHIRE mental health service has again been told it must improve or risk enforcement measures.

Uplands Independent Hospital in Fareham was rated inadequate in all areas in its most recent report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors visited the site on June 28 and 29.

The unannounced inspection aimed to establish whether improvements had been made since the previous one in January.

READ MORE: Requires improvement CQC report 'a grey smear' says care home

The report says there were "mixed reports" about staff, with some patients saying they could be "nasty and punitive", and spent most of their time watching TV or listening to radio.

But other patients said they liked the staff at the hospital.

There were also concerns over the manangement of medication. Expiry dates on medicines did not match the manufacturer's instructions.

In one clinic room, the inspectors found medicines that needed to be thrown away one month after opening, but the expiry date had been changed to three months after opening.

One medicine administration area was not fit for purpose, the room being a converted toilet with an unstable door.

There were safety risks to patients and staff and the area did not provide privacy and dignity.

Staff were also unclear on risk assessments, particularly in one case where a patient was found with illicit drugs.

However, wards were clean, staff were able to recognise and report incidents, and develop individual care plans.

A warning notice had been issued after the previous inspection on January 11 and 12 found "significant improvement" was needed for patients to receive safe care.

The notice required the service to make immediate improvements to meet its legal requirements set out in the Health and Social Care Act.

The service was rated inadequate in all areas and placed into special measures.

The CQC gave a list of actions that the service must take to improve, which included monitoring patients' health effectively.

The latest report found that "a number of positive steps" had been taken but not all the required improvements had been met.

The service provides long-stay rehabilitative care and treatment to adults who may be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Uplands Independent Hospital has been contacted for comment.

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