Community hospital told to improve by watchdog

A community hospital where staff described a "bullying culture" has been told to improve by the health watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised concerns in two of the five areas it inspected at Sturdee Community Hospital in Leicester last summer - the safety of the service and whether it was well led.

The hospital was given a rating of "requires improvement" in these areas - and overall - despite being considered "good" for being effective, caring and responsive.

A spokesperson for InMind Healthcare Limited, which owns the facility, said it had made "significant progress" since the inspection by strengthening governance, enhancing staff training and improving clinical oversight.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Sturdee Community Hospital is an independent hospital with two wards and nine flats, and provides care and treatment to up to 31 female patients with complex mental health needs.

It had previously been rated "good" overall, the LDRS said.

But, during a visit in June 2025, inspectors found patients were "not always protected from harm or the risk of harm" and "some staff did not feel listened to and feared harassment and bullying if they raised concerns".

In a report, published on 26 February, the CQC concluded there was "continued and ongoing culture concerns regarding harassment and bullying within staff teams".

However, they said "other staff reported improvements to staff morale and better patient care since the new management and leadership team were put in place".

The watchdog asked the service provider for an action plan in response to the concerns raised.

A spokesperson for InMind Healthcare Limited said: "We welcome the CQC's feedback following its inspection in June 2025, with the report published in February of this year.

"Since the inspection, we have made significant progress by strengthening governance, enhancing staff training and improving clinical oversight.

"We continue to work closely with the CQC, commissioners and the local ICBs to embed the improvements made and progress towards delivering an outstanding standard of care."

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