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Priory Hospital Kneesworth House

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About this location

Located in Royston, Hertfordshire, within a purpose-built facility and spacious grounds, Priory Hospital Kneesworth House is a high dependency rehabilitation unit which provides a range of specialist recovery pathways, all at one site. The hospital also provides acute and psychiatric intensive care, medium and low secure services, and a community-focused rehabilitation ward.

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

Acute

15 beds, male and female, 18+

Rehabilitation and Recovery (R&R)

45 beds, male and female, 18+

Secure

42 beds, male and female, 18+

Psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU)

12 beds, females, 18+

Bespoke therapeutic placement (BTP)

adults, R&R

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Priory Kneesworth House Hospital Bassingbourn-cum-Kneesworth Royston Hertfordshire SG8 5JP
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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

  • Bourn – 15-bedded ward for 10 females and 5 males

Conditions treated

We are able to support people with complex mental health needs, including:

  • Personality disorders
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Psychosis
  • Self-harm
  • Schizophrenia

Each person is assessed on a case-by-case basis, prior to admission.

Treatment approaches

At Kneesworth, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients.

Our main goal is the assessment and stabilisation of people to allow them to return home as soon as they are able.

Our assessment and treatment options are overseen by a full and diverse multidisciplinary team (MDT).

We offer:

  • Positive behaviour support (PBS)
  • Occupational therapy (OT)
  • Music therapy
  • Mindfulness
  • ‘Hope and connection’ group for suicidality and low mood (referral only)
  • Building resilience and positive habits
  • Psychoeducation
  • Reflective spaces

People within our service tend to stay with us on a short-term basis.

Our team

Our team consists of:
  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychologist
  • Nurses
  • Occupational therapists (OT)

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 OT and psychology.

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:

 

Games room
Sports facilities
Music room
Art room
Garden
Gym facilities
Female-only lounge
Lounge

 

Our garden offers secure fencing, a patio area with furniture, a lawn, sensory items, shelter and planting areas. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, such as bean bags, for people to use.

Our bedrooms

Patients are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms while they are staying with us.

Exclusion profile

  • People under the age of 18
  • History of absconsion
  • History of arson

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.

Everyone within our acute service is considered for a transition to Priory Adult Care services from admission onwards.

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

  • Wortham – 17-bedded ward for males
  • Nightingale – 17-bedded ward for male
  • Fairview – 6-bedded ward for females

Conditions treated

We are able to support people with the following challenges:

  • Severe and enduring mental health needs
  • Personality disorders
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Psychosis
  • Self-harm
  • Sexual offending
  • Substance misuse

Treatment approaches

At Kneesworth, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients.

We provide gender-specific rehabilitation services and bespoke packages of care, with a key focus on developing skills for independence, supporting people to understand their own relapse prevention strategies and reintegration back into community settings.

Our assessment and treatment options are overseen by a full and diverse MDT.

We offer:

  • PBS
  • OT
  • Music therapy
  • Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
  • Art therapy
  • Mindfulness
  • Trauma informed therapy
  • Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
  • Schema therap
  • Compassion focused therapy (CFT)
  • Mindfulness
  • Substance misuse treatment
  • Offence-specific intervention, when required
  • Mental health awareness/Psycho-education
  • Trauma informed therapy
  • Hearing voices peer support group

People within our service tend to stay with us on a transitional and long-term basis.

Our team

Our team consists of a full MDT.

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:

  • Daily living skills
  • Real life work experience
  • Exercise classes
  • Trips out, following risk assessment

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:

 

Kitchen and dining room
Games room
Sports facilities
Gym facilities
Garden
Lounge

 

Our garden offers secure fencing, a patio area with furniture, a lawn, football pitch, shelter and planting areas. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, such as bean bags, for people to use.

Our bedrooms

Patients are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms while they are staying with us. We provide:

 

Anti-ligature furniture
Safe rooms
Windows with a view
TV
Desk
Some rooms that are wheelchair-accessible with wet rooms

 

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.

All R&R patients ready for step-down are considered for our Priory Adult Care services. This is always relayed to the commissioning team as an option.

Our secure services offer comprehensive support to people with complex mental health needs. We model our service provision on the NHS secure service specification for medium and low secure services, ensuring our patients are given the highest quality of care to enable quick and smooth transitions into local services, wherever possible. We are committed to delivering clinically effective, evidence-based treatment programmes for individuals who require secure care, providing both psychological and physical security.

Ward break down

  • Ermine – 18-bedded medium secure ward for adults with a mental health diagnosis
  • Clopton – 12-bedded ward for adults with a personality disorder
  • Orwell – 12-bedded low secure ward for adults with a mental health diagnosis

Conditions treated

We are able to support people with the following challenges:

  • Complex mental health needs
  • Behaviours that challenge
  • Severe and enduring mental health needs
  • Personality disorders
  • Psychosis
  • Offence related behaviour
  • Self-harm
  • Substance misuse

Treatment approaches

At Kneesworth House, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients.

Our main goal is the assessment and stabilisation of people to allow them to return home as soon as they are able. We offer a wide range of clinical therapies, based on individual needs and assessment. Therapies are delivered both individually and on a group basis.

Our assessment and treatment options are overseen by a full and diverse MDT.

We offer:

  • PBS
  • CBT
  • CAT
  • Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
  • OT
  • ACT
  • IPT
  • Music therapy
  • Art therapy
  • Mindfulness
  • Family therapy
  • Trauma informed therapy
  • Schema therapy
  • Substance misuse treatment programme
  • Psycho-educational and skill-enhancing group programmes
  • Compassion focused therapy (CFT)
  • Psycho-educational and skill-enhancing group programmes
  • Offence focussed interventions (including harmful sexual behaviour, fire setting, violence, stalking)
  • Hearing voices peer support group

People within our service tend to stay with us on a long-term basis.

Our team

Our team consists of a full MDT.

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 including:

  • Daily living skills
  • Real life work experience
  • Exercise classes
  • Community leave or grounds leave

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:

 

Games room
Sports facilities
Music room
Art room
Garden
Gym facilities
Dining room
Lounge

 

Our garden offers secure fencing, a patio area with furniture, a lawn, and planting areas. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, for people to use.

Our bedrooms

Patients are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms while they are staying with us. We provide:

 

Anti-ligature furniture
Safe rooms
Windows with a view
TV
Desk
Some rooms that are wheelchair-accessible with wet rooms

 

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.

People within our secure services are considered for step-down into our R&R service, or into a Priory Adult Care service, as appropriate.

Our PICU services have been designed to support people in a severe phase of illness, who cannot be managed in acute services. Our dedicated PICU services place us at the forefront of specialised intensive care, and our highly trained teams can support people with complex needs and behaviours that challenge, along with co-existing issues (such as substance misuse).

Ward break down

  • Wimpole - 12-bedded ward for females

Conditions treated

We are able to support people who present with significant and continued risk to themselves or others, and have a high absconding risk in non-secure environments.

Treatment approaches

At Kneesworth, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients.

This service is an emergency ward, operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patients can be admitted from A&E, the judicial system, other PICUs, community services and other mental health settings.

Community and home leave is encouraged following risk assessment. Our main goal is the assessment and stabilisation of patients.

Our assessment and treatment options are overseen by a full and diverse MDT.

We offer:

  • Mindfulness
  • PBS
  • OT

People within our service tend to stay with us on a short-term basis, and the therapies we offer are tailored accordingly. We take a trauma-informed approach and have developed a bespoke PICU group therapy programme, which draws on ACT, mindfulness, CBT and DBT. We also undertake PBS work or more detailed assessments of mental health needs, where appropriate..

Our team

Our team consists of a full MDT.

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 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:

 

Kitchen and dining room
Games room
Music room
Art room
Garden
Lounge
Female-only lounge

 

Our garden offers secure fencing, a patio area with furniture, a lawn, shelter and planting areas. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, such as bean bags, for people to use.

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:

 

Anti-ligature furniture
Safe rooms
Windows with a view
TV
Desk
Some rooms that are wheelchair-accessible with wet rooms

 

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.

At Kneesworth House, we provide BTPs for autistic people and people with a learning disability. Individuals may present with complex and challenging needs, including aggression and sensory issues, and may benefit from the time and space to learn how to self-regulate their own emotions.

The core aim of our BTPs is to offer an environment with the least restrictive practices, where patients who are struggling in a group environment can develop their independence skills, enabling them to transition to community living, when possible.

For more information on Priory’s BTPs, view our dedicated BTP page.

BTP break down:

  • 4 bungalows and Swift House – BTPs for adults within our R&R service

Contact us for help, referrals or more information

At Priory, we want to ensure we provide the very best service to each individual we support. Contact us for more information, or to make a referral.

Call Us
Tap on a number to call
Make a referral

Hear from patients and experts

Inside Priory Kneesworth House
Learn more about Priory's secure services
Inside Priory's acute services network
Inside Priory's bespoke therapeutic placements

About the local area

Amenities

Local amenities

Kneesworth House is located close to a variety of amenities, including:

  • Local park
  • Shops/cafes
  • Cinema
  • Nearby college
  • Shops
  • GP/dental surgery
  • A garage
  • A sub-post office
  • Bakeries
  • Chemists
  • Hairdressers
  • General grocers

Transport links

It also has excellent transport links, including:

  • A local bus station and train station
  • 5-minute drive to Royston
  • 25-minute drive to Cambridge
  • 20-minute drive to the M11 motorway
  • 50-minute drive to London

A message from our site leader

Across all our services at Kneesworth, we have created a culture based on quality care for better patient outcomes. We continue to work with our NHS partners to deliver consistent mental health services and innovate to meet patient demand for services

Kneesworth site leader

Comments from our patients and their family and friends

I felt staff treated me very respectfully at all times, even when I was distressed or I didn't make sense. Communication and relationships were excellent
Patient at Kneesworth Priory Hospital Kneesworth House

Information for family and friends

How do home visits work?

Home visits are actively encouraged and we help to arrange them for people staying with us and their families, subject to risk assessment.

What is your visitation policy?

We are flexible with visiting times. However, we do ask that visits are organised in advance, to make sure that they don’t clash with therapy or an outing.

Will I be involved and kept up to date with my loved one’s care and wellbeing?

Yes, we make every effort to keep the loved ones of our residents involved in their care. We promote family and friends’ involvement.

Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?

People staying with us may be allowed to use their own mobile phone, following a risk assessment. Patients are also able to use the telephone on the ward.

What type of things are families expected to provide, and what is provided by the home?

We provide all furnishings, bedding and food on-site. Patients just need to bring their own personal belongings.

What are the bedrooms like?

All of our bedrooms are furnished, and are single person, en-suite rooms.

Are external doors kept locked?

All of our external doors are locked. However, every person staying with us will be individually assessed for any risks to see what security is needed.

What do service users eat and how do meal times work?

We provide three set meals a day and all dietary requirements are catered for. Snacks are also available outside of mealtimes.

How does laundry work?

We manage the laundry for the site but we encourage people staying with us to do their own as part of daily living skills.

Is there anything they can’t bring or have?

We have a restricted and prohibited items list, which is reviewed and updated regularly. This can be seen on request.

Are pets allowed?

Yes, pets are allowed to visit as long as they are kept under control by visitors. We also have a small farm where people can actively look after the animals.

How do activities work?

Everyone staying with us has a tailored activities programme, which is regularly reviewed by the MDT, with input from the patient and their family members.

Do service users and families have an input into the service user’s care plans?

All of the people staying with us and their families/friends are invited to be actively involved in care planning.

What are the car parking facilities?

There is free car parking on-site.

What is the smoking policy? Can service users buy cigarettes?

Kneesworth is a non-smoking site. Vaping is allowed in the bedrooms or in designated areas.

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.

What are the ward phone numbers, if I cant get through on the main hospital number?

If you are unable to reach us on the main hospital phone number, you can contact the wards directly using the below numbers:

Clopton - 07716241843

Ermine - 07921404684

Orwell - 07716241703

Bourn - 07716241957

Wimpole - 07720891698

Foxton - 07716241959

Nightingale - 07718117094

Wortham – 0770916927

Fairview - 07708604015

Bungalows 63 - 07731723727

Bungalows 65 - 07763703062

Bungalows 67 - 07763703052

Bungalows 69 - 07763706059

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.

Call Us
Tap on a number to call
Make a referral