AN "UNSAFE" mental health hospital has been told it must improve for the fourth time in seven years.

Uplands Independent Hospital has been rated 'requires improvement' by the CQC in its latest report.

The health watchdogs rated four out of five categories - safe, effective, caring, and well-led - as 'requires improvement'.

The category of being responsive to people's needs was rated 'good' at the Fareham site in Park Lane.

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Since 2016, the hospital has been rated 'requires improvement' and 'inadequate' in four separate inspections

The hospital provides treatment for adult patients who require longterm rehabilitation services, and who may have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

It offers assessment, treatment, and continuing care for up to 24 people.

Inspectors found that the provider had not "fully addressed" all of the improvements identified in its action plan.

They noted that not all patients had access to a nurse call system in their bedrooms so would be unable to call for help if they needed to.

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The report found that care plans were not as person-centred or recovery-focused "as they could have been".

Inspectors noted that they did not detail how patients could gain the skills needed to live in the community.

On one occasion, inspectors noticed that a medication record did not have an urgent treatment form, which is needed to authorise treatment when patients can't give consent.

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Staff told inspectors that they sometimes had to cancel escorted community leave because of staffing numbers.

A spokesperson from Uplands Independent Hospital said: "We are aware of the recent publication of the CQC report on Uplands Independent Hospital, following an inspection in October.

"As noted in the report, we have been working closely with the CQC to implement a comprehensive action plan and we are pleased that this has resulted in a more positive report and an improved rating.

"We have undertaken a significant programme of change over the last year and will continue to build on the improvements we have made including environmental changes, patient and family involvement and the embedding of our new clinical model.”

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