Cardinal Clinic

Fine facilities and care shown

"In a nut shell, its like 3* hotel with NHS level care at best" This hospital spends alot of money advertising itself with flashy websites and images as professional, cutting edge, holistic and with back up after discharge. Ive been re-admitted 3 times, and recently been discharged again. Nearly every nurse has left since I first was admitted. They have a high turnover of staff who are often students or previous NHS workers. Many are indiscreet as you can often overhear there disparaging remarks about each other, the inpatients, or the facility in general. Cardinal Clinic promise helpful back up once you have been discharged, but on two occasions I was told to call the NHS for help, and on another two occasions my calls went unreturned. This includes one call where I needed to speak with my Psychiatrist. Many patients would tell you they have the same complaints or issues. Whilst the food is very good, and you have hotel like bedrooms, do not think each room looks like the one on the front page of the website. They dont! That is their Penthouse if you like. Many other rooms are of an appallingly small size, and in need of modernising. The Psychiatrist whose care I was under, disagreed with a previous diagnosis, and put me on a hefty course of Lithium and strong psychotic drugs. After 6 months, with little improvement and as I say, no back up once I had discharged, I ended up detoxing myself and seeking further care from another facility, which has improved my condition dramatically. The nurses in particular are forgetful or inattentive, always rushing around. You feel they are woefully understaffed, and often unaproachabe I could go on, however, I hope I've painted some sort of a picture. If you have schizophrenia or some mental condition that is obvious, they know what to do. If your condition is ambiguous, you may as well book in at the ritz in London - and pay to see a psychiatrist 3 times a week. its cheaper.

Wonderful hospital like a hotel without a bar I wonder why, had a fantastic time staff from therapists nurses cleaners cooks etc really helpful and dedicated,one thing or rather a couple might be an idea to let patients get involved in the gardening side and also cooking side of things also a latte machine would be nice, I couldn't praise the clinic enough and would highly recommend it and have done to other people so well done to everyone at the clinic

Treatment at the Cardinal was completely pointless and held back my recovery for months and they made condition significantly worse. Wish that had never gone there.

Really a wonderful, peaceful, supportive environment to get well.