About this location
Set within 48 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens in a small village in East Sussex, Priory Ticehurst House is an idyllic location which allows us to provide a highly therapeutic environment, making us the perfect place for people staying with us to begin their recovery. We work collaboratively with the discharge teams to ensure a smooth transition back into existing community services, or to an individual’s home, where possible.
Priory’s acute and PICU services aim to allow more people to be treated closer to home and we support the NHS to repatriate out-of-area patients back to local areas.
Services at a glance
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Services
Our acute services offer round-the-clock assistance in times of emergencies. Our specialist inpatient acute teams are committed to providing the highest quality of care, supporting patients with a wide range of mental health conditions, in safe and highly therapeutic environments.
Ward break down
- Newington Court 1 – 12-bedded female NHS acute
- Newington Court 2 – 9-bedded female NHS acute
- Keystone – 12-bedded male NHA acute
- Upper Court – 13-bedded male NHS acute
Conditions treated
We support individuals with a primary diagnosis of an acute phase of a mental health condition. In addition, we are able to support people with the following challenges:
- Acute mental health
- Complex mental health needs
- Physical disabilities
- A personality disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Psychosis
- Self-harm
- Sexual offending
- Substance misuse
- Schizophrenia
- Violence and aggression
We can also support people who present with the following challenges alongside their primary diagnosis:
- Autism spectrum
- Violence and aggression (not to have been in the last month and assessed as to risk)
- Arson (not to have been in the last 30 days and assessed on a case-by-case basis)
We are able to support informal patients or those detained under the Mental Health Act.
Treatment approaches
At Ticehurst House, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients.
We provide a care programme approach (CPA) that fully involves the individual and their family, carers and community services. We accept NHS overspill emergency admissions any time of the day or night in order to respond to people’s needs in a time of crisis. We can support referrals for ongoing treatment in our Rehabilitation service lines where appropriate.
Most people discharge home or back to their community placement, however we can support referral to our Priory adult care services, which would be supported alongside the area where people were referred from.
We are dedicated to providing innovative, high-quality care and treatment for those with acute mental health needs, in order to enable their recovery and re-engagement within the community.
Our assessment and treatment options are overseen by a full and diverse MDT.
We offer:
- Occupational therapy (OT)
- Family therapy
- Trauma informed therapy
- 1-to-1 support
People within our service tend to stay with us on a short-term basis.
Our team
Our team consists of:
- Hospital director
- Medical director
- Ward managers
- Responsible clinician (consultant psychiatrist)
- Speciality grade doctor
- Registered mental health nurses
- OT
- OT assistant
- Health care assistants
- Physical health nurse
- Psychologist/assistants
- A range of specialist therapists
Therapeutic and community-based activities
We offer a range of therapeutic and community-based activities as part of a full treatment programme. We want to support people to become more confident and independent, preparing them to move through their treatment pathway towards community living.
Our therapeutic and community-based activities include:
- Exercise classes
- Gardening
- Walks
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 area is complete with secure fencing, a patio area with furniture, a lawn and planting areas. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, such as bean bags, for people to use. Adaptations that are appropriate for needs can be considered on a case by case basis.
Our bedrooms
All of our bedrooms are single-occupancy and most have an en-suite bathroom. Patients are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms while they are staying with us. On certain wards, facilities are shared. We provide:
Exclusion profile
People under the age of 18
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.
A message from our site leader
We aim to provide a safe, therapeutic environment for our service users and care with kindness and compassion.
Denis Telford
Comments from our patients and their family and friends
Overall I had a great experience. The team at The Priory were lovely, caring and supportive. It was easy to build a rapport with the staff
Inside Priory Hospital Ticehurst House NHS Services
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Information for family and friends
How do home visits work?
We will support people staying with us to attend home visits, if appropriate, as part of their transition to discharge, should this be needed. Most people stay with us on a short-term basis and once well enough, they are discharged home or back to their community placement.
What is your visitation policy?
During their treatment programme, we encourage people staying with us to keep in touch with loved ones and have them visit, if they would like them to. Our staff will be able to make appropriate arrangements for visits, if requested.
Will I be involved and kept up to date with my loved one’s care and wellbeing?
We aim to include families in their loved ones’ care and progression, provided it is appropriate to do so and provided consent is agreed by the person staying with us. We aim to support the needs of everyone staying with us, and make families and friends feel welcome.
Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?
People staying with us may be allowed to use a mobile phone on the ward, and if support is needed, staff will ensure a phone is made available for use.
What type of things are families expected to provide, and what is provided by the home?
We provide all furnishings and food on-site and encourage patients to individualise their space with their own artwork, décor and soft furnishings. We would expect people staying with us to bring clothes and toiletries, however staff will support those who may arrive without essentials.
What are the bedrooms like?
Bedrooms are furnished and each room has either a TV within the bedroom and/or access to a TV within a lounge area.
We do ask that people staying with us bring clothing and necessary personal items with them. If they are admitted without essentials, the hospital and staff will support to ensure they are comfortable and have access to essentials during their stay.
Are external doors kept locked?
Yes, doors are kept locked for people’s safety. Any access and egress are supported by staff, and will be viewed on case-by-case basis.
What do service users eat and how do meal times work?
We provide three meals, and people staying with us can prepare snacks or request snacks. We are able to cater to any dietary needs or allergies our patients may have, we would ask that patients just mention their needs to ward staff, and they will make necessary arrangements.
How does laundry work?
People staying with us have access to facilities to do laundry on-site. If support is needed, staff will assist with this. The hospital staff will take care of the washing of bedding and bulky items.
Is there anything they can’t bring or have?
There is a list of banned and restricted items to ensure everyone's safety. We may also restrict access to certain items during a person’s stay, in line with their own needs.
Are pets allowed?
Unfortunately we are unable to have pets stay at Ticehurst House.
How do activities work?
People staying with us have their own timetable of planned activities, both therapeutic and recreational. We give the opportunity for patients to join in with additional group activities and other enrichment opportunities.
Do service users and families have an input into the service user’s care plans?
We provide a CPA that fully involves the person staying with us and their family, carers and community services. We welcome input from loved ones, where this is appropriate.
What are the car parking facilities?
There is lots of free car parking on-site.
What is the smoking policy? Can service users buy cigarettes?
Ticehurst is a non-smoking hospital, and support for smoking cessation will be offered. Some people may choose to vape or can smoke when accessing 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.
We also provide a private service where funding can be accessed via private medical insurance, or individuals can self-pay. For more information, please visit Priory Hospital Ticehurst House.
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.