INSPECTORS have praised staff at a mental health centre for their hard work and the quality of their care.

Cygnet St Teilo House specialises in high-dependency inpatient rehabilitation for women.

During a recent unannounced visit, a team from the Health Inspectorate Wales said they found "a dedicated staff team that were committed to providing a high standard of care to patients".

While at St Teilo House, in Rhymney, the inspectors spoke with patients, their relatives and advocates and found that the staff treated patients with "dignity and respect".

"Staff seemed to have developed good relationships with patients and took time to understand their needs or any concerns patients raised," the inspectors said. "The staff we spoke with demonstrated a good level of understanding of the patients they were caring for."

They were also impressed with how patients could provide feedback to staff on how care was provided at the hospital.

The activities and therapies at the site were also praised, but inspectors recommended staffing levels should be high enough to allow events to take place as scheduled.

Activities at the hospital include a craft room, hair salon, occupational therapy kitchen, and exercise equipment.

Patient care plans were "maintained to a good standard" and there were "established processes in place to suitably manage potential risks" to health and safety, the inspectors noted.

Patient records were kept "of a high standard and were well organised" - something the inspectors said had improved since their previous visit.

The hospital's management was also complimented, for both its "established governance arrangements" and its "open and fair" recruitment.

Inspectors did recommend St Teilo House "review its nursing cover establishment during night shifts to ensure staff are fully supported at all times".

Following the inspection, Byron Mtandabari, hospital manager for Cygnet Health Care, said: “I am delighted that St Teilo House has received such a positive inspection report from HIW. It shows how much hard work and effort the team has put in to ensure the unit maintains outstanding feedback from the regulator.”

He added: “I would like to thank all the staff at St Teilo House for their continued hard work and dedication and Cygnet Health Care for their support, especially during the difficult times of Covid.”