A DAMNING report into safety at an independent hospital that cares for people with autism and learning disabilities has revealed a string of concerns about how patients are treated.

So severe were the issues at The Breightmet Centre for Autism that inspectors who visited in June this year ordered the hospital to temporarily restrict admissions and provide assurances in relation to the safe care of patients.

The report, which was issued this week by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), found the hospital to be “inadequate” in terms of safety with operators ASC Healthcare Ltd criticised for failing in the “delivery of safe and effective care for all patients”.

The inspection took place following concerns that had been raised about patient care.

CQC deputy chief inspector of hospitals (and lead for mental health), Dr Kevin Cleary, said: “During our inspection of The Breightmet Centre for Autism we found standards of care fell below those people should be able to expect.

“Inspectors identified a number of concerns, including that care plans and risk assessments did not always reflect patients’ current care and treatment needs, and staff did not always provide care in line with care plans.

“Since then, the provider has provided regular updates to CQC on the improvements it is making. We are aware that the provider has been taking a number of positive steps to address issues highlighted by our inspection.

“We will continue to monitor the service and return to inspect again to check on its progress. The provider knows what it needs to do now to ensure improvements are made.”

The report details how during the visit, inspectors witnessed a patient deliberately bang their head on the floor, against the wall and against a door causing bleeding from their forehead, but receiving no medical attention.

Earlier inspections in June and July last year had resulted in the temporary closure of the centre with care of patients taken over by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

A spokesperson for ASC Healthcare Ltd said: “We are acting on all the CQC’s recommendations and have made changes which have improved the care we offer to the complex service users in our care.

“We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate those improvements at our next inspection,” the spokesperson added.