Women patients to leave St Andrew's hospital

Women patients are being transferred out of a mental health provider that is under investigation by police and the Charity Commission.

NHS England ordered the removal of all 287 inpatients from a hospital run by St Andrew's Healthcare in Northampton over safety concerns earlier this year.

In July, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust agreed to take over their care at the same site from mid-September.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "Alternative and suitable placements have been found for most of these women."

An inquiry was opened in June into safeguarding and financial concerns at the hospital.

NHS England was unable to confirm to the BBC the number of patients who remained at St Andrew's, but the Northampton Chronicle & Echo reported there were 31 women and 141 men.

"Maintaining separate services long term at St Andrew's for such a small number of female patients would not be viable," a spokesperson said.

"There are 10 patients in the process of being discharged and others are being transferred to alternative placements as close to home as possible."

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust referred the BBC to its July statement, which said patients would remain on the Northampton site, with services expected to be delivered from William Wake House and Fitzroy House.

"We recognise the importance of these highly specialist services and the responsibility that comes with this agreement," its chief executive Angela Hillery said at the time.

"Our focus will be on working in partnership with St Andrew's Healthcare, NHS England, commissioners, patients, carers and colleagues to support a safe and well-managed transition."

The decision to withdraw patients from St Andrew's followed enforcement action taken against the hospital, announced in December.

In March, NHS England said "we still do not have adequate assurance that patient safety is improving at the rate it needs to and our concerns about patient safety remain".

It added: "We therefore must act now to ensure patients receive the care and treatment they deserve."

It added that "unacceptable issues" had been identified at the hospital.

A report by the Care Quality Commission described how its inspectors saw CCTV footage of staff kicking and hitting a patient during a restraint as their colleagues watched on.

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