Cygnet Hospital Harrogate

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2018-08-29 Person 5 5 0

Saved my adult daughter, did more in 4 weeks than anywhere else did in 5 years , lovely hospital lovely staff

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2018-06-15 Person 4 5 0

I was originally an NHS patient for three days in 2015 but I was so drugged that I remember little about it except falling out of bed and collapsing in the corridor after two Nitrazepam and some Diazepam at bed time. I was too ill to go to the dining room and much of my stay was a blur although I do remember trying to escape.I remember being returned to my home town for eight horrific weeks in my local NHS hospital.My next experience as a private patient at Cygnet was wonderful.I spent three weeks in late Nov/Dec 2016 and the nurses, psychiatrists and therapists and of course the food was amazing. I went from being completely suicidal to coming home completely transformed and fat with no suicidal thoughts and really well. I had been surrounded by a lot of care and the other patients were lovely and supportive,the whole family were delighted and my follow up appointments with Dr.Bradbury were really excellent and I was so happy.Then sadly I relapsed and in June 2017 had to return as a private patient as there were no NHS beds and I was poorly again.This time around the Psychiatrists were excellent but sadly the nurses were not as caring. Also there was two violent fights whilst I was there and I didn't feel able to recuperate in a mainly male enviroment.There was a problem with the heat in my room because the radiator in my bathroom was on and couldn't be turned off and it was 30 degrees outside. The pipes feeding the radiator ran under the floorboards near my bed and I was unbearably hot and couldn't cope with the heat in my room.I kept complaining but nobody could understand how much the heat was a problem.I was also kept awake by the nurses constantly chatting through the night and one in particular had such bad hay fever she was constantly disturbing me by her constant sniffing up and down the corridor rattling keys as she went.I had to keep the windows open so the traffic noise also kept me awake and more anxious and I was told there were no fans available.It was suggested my husband went out and bought one but all the shops were shut by that time on the Saturday that he could visit as I lived a good distance away.On the Monday the cleaners came into my room and were astonished by the unbearable heat and immediately contacted maintenance and a fan was provided and the radiator finally turned off but by then I had had at least 5 nights of unbearable anxiety and sleeplessness.I wrote a complaint letter but the response wasn't really satisfactory but I wasn't well enough to fight my corner..I had asked for a room transfer but there were none clean and available and it was deemed that I would be disturbed more in the other locations by the other patients.I ended up convincing the Psychiatrists I was well enough to come home even though I wasn't but I just needed some sleep.I came home but had to be re-admitted.This time the new room was cooler but now I was located near the social area so yet again I had problems sleeping and had panic attacks several mornings.In the end I had to make the decision to come home because instead of getting well I was becoming more anxious and agitated and it was costing too much not to get better.So all in all I was so sad that my second visit as a private patient was a complete disaster compared to the first and I still wish I could complain officially to someone because I felt I wasn't getting better and left because I was worrying about the cost.I had such a tranquil stay the time before I just couldn't believe the difference.

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2018-03-10 Person 1 5 0

None of the staff wore name badges, and hardly any were bare below the elbows. The staff seemed to not mind if people were kicking off at night and seemed to do little to de-escalate situations or reassure other service users. Unless you smoked there was no access to fresh air, despitethe fact I was informal so had to go out and stand with the smokers. There was no planned activities if you were on certain obs lovely so colouring with pens that hardly worked seemed the only option. Some of the staff shared how miserable they were there and how they wouldn’t be staying long. Upon my arrival the first words said to me were ‘it’s not normally like this‘ it actually every night was the same, high noise from people kicking off. So for me this was not a therapeutic environment at all.

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2017-08-19 Person 5 5 0

I am writing this review as a mother ..my daughter was admitted to cygnet hosp in Harrogate 3rd June 2017..as no mental health beds in Warwickshire...we didn't know what to expect as we have only known nhs psychiatric hospital...i just want to say that the whole team have saved my daughter's life...our journey started 6 yrs ago ...attempted suicide 17 times finally being diagnosed October 2016 with ptsd by a full assessment with a lovely psychiatric consultant following a complaint made by our gp who was disgusted in the lack of care she received from Warwickshire mental health....the cygnet team where all fantastic very pro active ..delivering high standards of care always ..the therapy in which she was offered was brilliant ...they have worked so hard with my daughter ..seing Drs everyday the nurses support workers the cooks the cleaners everyone working together and with one thing in mind ..the patient...services in warwickire nhs psychiatric hospitals are Victorian at best ...the advocate even spent time in sorting her finances out and helping her know what she is entitled too . After nearly 3 months she was discharged home ...they have given her the tools to help her continue her journey at home..the therapy sessions where offered once she was able ..which was week 2 they all put so much effort into her care ...we will continue to see her consultant every 8 weeks as we know the service in Warwickshire is poor ...i just want go say a massive thanku to all of team for helping my daughter ...we love you all xx

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2017-02-19 Person 2 5 0

My experiences of this hospital was the lack of communication with the patient and staff. Some of the staff members had time for the patients others seem to think it was time for a catch with each other. The house keeping staff seem to have plenty of time for the patients and I couldn't thank them enough for the time they gave to my family member. The doctors seem hard work to get hold of when we had questions to ask. All in all. Going in with an illness and coming out in a worse state. Doesn't say much about this place in my experience.

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2016-10-21 Person 1 5 0

Do not enter this hospital as an nhs patient as the consultant and doctors are awful and treat you much different to private patients. They are patronising, condescending and extremely rude.

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2016-06-21 Person 1 5 0

Nasty staff and doctors!

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2015-10-14 Person 2 5 0

NIGHTMARE TIME HAD IN HOSPITAL ISOLATION AND BEING LOCKED UP A NIGHTMARE THIS WAS MY FIRST EVER ADMISSION.

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2014-02-20 Person 1 5 0

Awaiting response

Cygnet Hospital Harrogate 2013-03-31 Person 2 5 0

I spent three weeks in Cygnet Hospital during a period of depression and anxiety accompanied by suicidal thoughts. My stay gave me an opportunity to rest and to calm my thoughts to some extent. The ward staff were very variable. Some were very kind and caring. A small number of female staff seemed to dislike the patients so much that it was hard to understand why they chose such a profession. It was very common for staff to take about parents as "he" or "she" when the patient was standing in front of them. When a 'tramp' was admitted who was, unsurprisingly, quite smelly, two of the nurses were absolutely horrible to him, holding their noses when he went close to them. I think it is worth reminding those who work there that, although we are certainly ill, we are not stupid and can generally hear perfectly. Please do not talk about us, in our presence, as if we cannot hear or understand. Some of the staff, however, were wonderful, eg. Mick and Julie, who were kind, caring, sensitive and good listeners. My main complaint is that I was not seen as an individual by the consultants, especially in terms of medication. I spoke to another patient whose diagnosis from their consultant was almost word for word the same as my own. My antidepresant (citalopran) was quickly raised from 20 to 40mg when my depression was not lifting although I had only been on it around 3 weeks. I was put on amitriptelene, a very old fashioned drug which gave me terrible side-effects. Dr Bradbury did not seem to hear my description of virtual sleeplessness which was central to my depression. I was very much a patient and not a person. When I left Cygnet Hospital, the Crisis Team in Manchester really listened to me, changed and reduced my medication, and within days I was sleeping properly and, months later, I still am. When I left Cygnet, I was still not sleeping and I was still suicidal. I had told the staff at Cygnet the day before leaving that I was suicidal but retracted this when they said they would take my key off me. The Crisis Team took from me the medication I was sent home with - enough amitriptaline to potentially kill myself - and gave medication to me on a daily basis. They quite literally saved my life, essentially by not only listening to me but by hearing me. I definitiely was helped more by my fellow patients than by the Cygnet staff and regime - with the exception of the Therapist, Gayle, who was excellent and also Mick and Julie who were kindness itself. Unless we actively sought a member of staff to speak to, they gave us very little attention, generally chatting among themseves and, (again forgetting that we could hear them and generally were listening) complained about one another, shift arrangements, which floor they were allocated to, etc. I don't want to be totally damning of Cygnet - it is a comfortable place; it offers therapy; many members of staff are caring; it offers a place of respite; the food is lovely; there is the opportunity to visit the gym; .. but my essential points are ... see beyond the 'patient' to the person inside. Listen to what the patient tells you. Never forget that they can hear everything you say. Consultants.. don't lose touch with your basic humanity and remember .. we are sick, not stupid.