New provider could take over at failing hospital

A failing mental health hospital could continue to look after patients but with another organisation providing the care, it has emerged.

In February NHS England (NHSE) ordered the removal of all 287 inpatients from St Andrew's Healthcare's facility in Northampton over safety concerns.

The provider is currently in talks with NHS England (NHSE) over retaining some capacity at the site.

A spokesman for St Andrew's Healthcare, a charity, said the move would provide greater certainty for people receiving care and their families.

The talks are focusing on some of the most complex secure patients – such as prisoners – remaining at the site.

The county's current NHS mental health provider, Northamptonshire Healthcare, confirmed it was looking into taking over some services.

In a statement, it said it was "currently conducting due diligence on a proposal to provide a range of inpatient services on the current St Andrew's Healthcare Northampton site".

It added: "Any decisions taken will be based on safety and quality considerations."

The proposal would also see some specialist staff who currently work for St Andrew's retaining their jobs under a different employer.

Fifteen staff have been arrested since October 2024 following allegations of rape, ill-treatment and neglect with five facing no further action.

Northamptonshire Police confirmed this week that 10 remained on bail or had been released under investigation.

Last year the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the hospital as inadequate and imposed an urgent condition on its registration.

Inspectors witnessed patients being assaulted on CCTV footage and expressed "extreme concern" over "the high number of incidents of alleged assaults by staff members on patients".

West Northamptonshire Council said it continued to seek "urgent clarity and assurance" about the future of inpatient mental healthcare provision at the site.

Leader Mark Arnull, of Reform UK, said he had written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting setting out these concerns.

"It is essential that patients, families and staff are supported through this period of uncertainty and that any decisions are made safely and with their needs at the forefront," he said.

Arnull added that he was speaking to Northampton South Labour MP Mike Reader to "press for answers at a national level and to ensure that local concerns are fully understood".

The BBC understands the current discussions followed concerns about a lack of capacity across the country to house so many patients from the hospital.

A deadline of the end of June has been set by NHSE for the first groups of inpatients to leave.

St Andrew's Healthcare currently operates two other sites in Birmingham and Essex, which remain unaffected by the NHSE decision.

A spokesman for the charity said it "continues to make improvements to the quality of care for inpatients at its Northampton hospital, supported and overseen by NHS England which is working with staff".

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