About this location
Priory Hospital Newbury, located in Newbury, Berkshire, is a high dependency rehabilitation and recovery (R&R) service. We can support male adults with mental health needs, who are working towards a life back in the community. We provide 34 beds within a peaceful environment and we are well-placed to accept patients who need higher levels of care and intensive therapeutic support.
Services at a glance
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Services
Our comprehensive rehabilitation services provide support for people with complex mental health needs. We align our services with the recommendations of the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health (JCPMH), ensuring our patients are given the highest quality care to enable an appropriate transition back home or into community services, wherever possible.
Ward break down
- Birch Ward - 8-bedded ward for adult males with mobility issues, physical healthcare needs, or those who thrive better in a small and quiet environment
- Rowan Ward - 22-bedded high dependency ward for adult males
- Poplar flats - 4 beds for those in need of a safe environment where they are ready to step down, but restrictions and/or transitional support needs may limit current opportunities within the community
Conditions treated
We can support people with:
- Severe and enduring mental health needs
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Psychosis
- Paranoid schizophrenia
We can also support people who present with the following challenges alongside their primary diagnosis, on a case-by-case basis:
- A personality disorder (must be manageable on a mental health ward)
- Autism
- Substance misuse
- Physical health needs
- Sexual offending
We are able to support informal patients or those detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA).
Treatment approaches
At Newbury, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients.
We measure the effectiveness of our treatment and interventions based on the positive impact they have on people staying with us and their family/carers. We aim to involve them in their care as much as possible to enable them to gain a sense of control over their lives. We aim to help people with self-management, self-determination, choice, responsibility, increased social inclusion and reintegration into the local and wider community. We also provide people with the opportunity to self-medicate, with varying levels of support and progression.
We can support people who are being admitted from acute placements (Priory or external), those that have escalated in the community, or people from secure services that are ready to step down. We can also take people from other R&R services, where a change in environment is needed, or the placement has broken down.
We want our patients to remain valued members of society and contribute to their local community. We help everyone staying with us to develop strategies to re-skill and restore their former capacity, by managing their symptoms, care and treatment.
Our assessment and treatment options are overseen by a full and diverse multidisciplinary team (MDT).
We offer:
- Occupational therapy (OT)
- Music therapy
- Art therapy
- Mindfulness
- Trauma informed therapy
- Creative therapy
- Excellent physical health monitoring and care
Placements at Newbury are usually short to medium term.
Our team
Our highly experienced multidisciplinary team consists of:
- Hospital director
- Clinical director
- Mental health nurses
- MHA administrator
- Healthcare assistants
- Psychologist
- Psychology assistant
- Art therapist
- Creative therapist
- Occupational therapist (OT)
- OT assistants
- Responsible clinician
- Specialty doctor
- Physical health nurse
We arrange specialist staff training, as needed.
Therapeutic and community-based activities
We aim to support people staying with us with a range of therapeutic and community-based activities as part of a full treatment programme. Our aim is to help each patient to become more confident and independent, preparing them to move through their treatment pathway towards community living.
Our therapeutic and community-based activities include:
- Gardening activities with raised flower beds
- Sports
- Gym
- Leisure activities
- Mindfulness activities
- Nature activities and nature walks
- Trips out to local shops
- Trips out to the local community
- Volunteering projects
- Local college
Our facilities and environment
We believe that the environment in which treatment takes place is just as important as the treatment itself, when it comes to supporting our patients.
We provide:
Our garden offers secure fencing, a lawn area, patio area with furniture, a shelter, sensory items and areas to plant with patients. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, such as bean bags, for people to use. In addition, adaptations to facilities can be supported where possible to meet individual needs.
Our bedrooms
All of our bedrooms are single-occupancy and have an en-suite bathroom. Patients are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms while they are staying with us. We provide:
Exclusion profile
- People under the age of 18
- A recent history of arson – this is risk assessed on a case-by-case basis
Pathways
Priory’s network of high quality facilities enables us to offer joined-up care pathways with our dedicated residential services. We offer programmes which integrate healthcare treatment and therapy, which are tailored according to individual needs, in an appropriate setting. Our strength is that we can provide a seamless transition for the individual as they progress between higher and lower dependency services.
We have an internal step-down pathway for people on our male ward, to our four-bedded flat. Most of our patients transition to either the community or residential care. Yew Tree Lodge is a local Priory Adult Care site that we can also facilitate transitions to, where appropriate.
A message from our site leader
Priory Hospital Newbury prides itself on enabling our patients to experience the best possible support in their journey to recovery, so that they can achieve the best version of themselves
Priory Hospital Newbury site leader
Comments from our patients and their family and friends
They have never been so stable as they are at Newbury. You have done such a good job and I think he will always benefit from your support and will likely only need to have short spells with you if his mental state ever declines
The care co-ordinator and frailty nurse at Falklands Surgery thanked Newbury staff for ably supporting a patient within site, and were humbled by our staff’s dedication to giving the patient outstanding care
Inside Priory Hospital Newbury
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Information for family and friends
How do home visits work?
We support patients to attend family events and have community and home visits, wherever possible. The level of access and timescales for the visits are based on a risk assessment of patients’ needs and care. However, we aim to facilitate requests, and support people who are staying with us as much as possible.
What is your visitation policy?
There are no restrictions on visiting but we do ask that family and friends contact us in advance so we can check patients’ planned needs and fully support them to make visits as positive as possible for everyone involved. We have some nice spaces and can suggest local amenities.
Will I be involved and kept up to date with my loved one’s care and wellbeing?
Yes, we aim to include loved ones, provided this is appropriate for the person staying with us and consent is given. We have family days during the year and family, carers and care co-ordinators are invited to attend these, with patient consent.
Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?
People staying with us can use their own mobile phone or we can facilitate access to a phone, if needed.
What type of things are families expected to provide, and what is provided by the home?
Bedrooms are fully furnished, however, people staying with us can bring personal belongings to make them feel more at home. There are some banned and restricted items, which we can provide information on. We expect people staying with us to bring clothing and essential items with them, but we can provide essentials for those that may come in without any.
What are the bedrooms like?
All of our bedrooms are furnished, spacious and have built-in storage. They are all single person, en-suite rooms.
Are external doors kept locked?
Yes, but staff are always available for access needs. People staying with us are risk assessed to decide the level of flexibility they can have when it comes to accessing different areas unescorted.
What do service users eat and how do meal times work?
Meals are provided for the people staying with us. We cater for a large range of needs and can support most people’s requirements to ensure they are supported. People staying with us can access snacks outside of mealtimes. We can also support individuals with specialist dietary requirements and have days where the people staying with us can choose the menu.
How does laundry work?
People staying with us are encouraged to do their own laundry and we have laundry facilities on-site. Those that need support can be assisted. Main bedding items are cleaned by the hospital.
Is there anything they can’t bring or have?
There are some restricted items in line with safety restrictions. People staying with us will be assessed on an individual basis as to any items that may need to be restricted in line with their own therapy or safety needs. We do ask that where possible, patients do not bring valuable or bulky items with them.
Are pets allowed?
Unfortunately, no, pets cannot live on-site with people.
How do activities work?
Everyone staying with us has tailored activities and therapies which are planned in accordance with their individual progress needs. They will be given a copy of their activities and their willingness to engage with planning these as part of the process is an important factor. We also have group activities, which we encourage patients to participate in. Patients will also have one-to-one support sessions as well as goals and activities.
Do service users and families have an input into the service user’s care plans?
We consider family, friends and carers to be part of our team and their involvement is encouraged. Family members are encouraged to have input into the patients’ care plans provided we have their consent.
What are the car parking facilities?
There is free car parking on-site.
What is the smoking policy? Can service users buy cigarettes?
Priory Hospital Newbury is a non-smoking site. Smoking cessation is supported and vapes can be accessed. Patients may choose to smoke while they’re on leave.
How is treatment accessed and funded?
We don’t take referrals directly from individuals and families. Instead, the first step will be for you to reach out to the person’s GP so that they can be referred and funded through the correct NHS channel. Depending on the type of support needed, this could include local authority funding, NHS funding, joint funding between the local authority and NHS, or direct payments. Please note, referrals for NHS or local authority funded services must come from a referring organisation.
How to make a referral
Our customer service centre provides 24/7 support for NHS mental health enquiries and referrals. Our customer referral co-ordinators can support you from your first call right through to the enquiry conclusion, providing updates throughout the process. We offer 24/7 crisis referrals, fast access to bed availability and placements, and a single access point for end-to-end enquiry management.