Reviews
Reviews
Regrettably, my experience at the Priory Hospital Roehampton proved to be significantly more distressing than therapeutic. I was undergoing a crucial (physically and mentally? opiate reduction program, when I was mistakenly administered a dosage that was ten times higher than prescribed for the downward trajectory of my reduction plan. This incident resulted in a severe setback, necessitating an extended stay of three weeks. Despite this ordeal, I was required to bear the associated costs. While the staff responsible were temporarily suspended, I later discovered that one of them had resumed administering medication to me without any notification of their return to duty. Furthermore, on two separate occasions, I was given medication intended for another individual, fortunately, I was able to identify this error and did not consume the prescribed substances.
The manner in which the incident was handled by the priory was disconcerting. I was called to a private room and informed that I would be discharged on the same day if I did not promptly settle the costs for an additional three weeks of care. Given my reliance on opiates at the time, I had no other option but to comply and remain in an environment where I felt exceedingly anxious and unsafe. Furthermore, I perceived a lack of warmth and a display of hostility from certain staff members following the incident and subsequent interaction. I cannot in good conscience recommend the priory Roehampton to individuals who are vulnerable and desperately in need of care and support. The actions taken were not only irresponsible and lacking in professionalism, but also posed significant danger and potential harm to those seeking assistance. I urge individuals to conduct thorough research before entrusting their well-being to any facility.
They had care of my daughter for 3 months and she was discharged in a far worse condition than ever. I wouldn’t trust them to look after cress.
The Priory at Roehampton has a team of day care therapists who are without exception, very caring, professional and put the needs of their patients above all else. The therapy centres around group work which I found very helpful; to be with other people suffering similar problems as I was, gave me a sense of connection and a break from the way my depression had isolated me.
The day care facilities were going through a major overhaul whilst I was a patient. The administration of those works was sometimes challenging but the staff providing treatment to some very vulnerable people went out of their way to minimise the effects on our care.
The Priory is a place where you get back what you put into it. I had some incredible sessions (TA, creative writing, drama, assertiveness, stress, art therapy, EMDR to name a few) but some of the therapists are less skilled (or care less) and you can at times leave sessions feeling worse than you did going in, or worse, feel manipulated. There are some frustrating policies (making day patients walk outside in the rain to get to the canteen, etc) and as an inpatient constant issues with medication errors.
All that said my time as a day patient was hugely helpful and set me well on the road of not just recovery but also of understanding myself and why I do things. I also saw the dramatic difference it made to others as well - but only to those who attended the sessions and did the work!
The whole set up is designed to make money. I had to pay £2100 upfront before my son was admitted even though he had adequate insurance. I have yet to have that refunded. On admission he was assessed in 1 hour & following that was given drugs to take that changed him immediately. I checked with my GP sister in law & she suggested he should stop taking them and he did. The one to one sessions never happened & the so called therapy was negligible. We took him out after 6 nights to a far more caring facility at half the cost. Please don’t let any member of your family be fooled into sending you to this dirty place.
If directors were not allowed to be involved this hospital would be much better. The Drs care is controlled and sometimes stopped for their own agenda. This would not happen in the NHS. The priory is a business first always. Being a hospital comes second.
This hospital looks beautiful and grounds are amazing. It comes as quite a shock when admitted the lounges and rooms are more like a squat. Nurses live in a glass box. I was there 10 weeks. I must have had a named nurse but never met her/him or could even tell you their name.
Most people I have met in a far superior psychiatric hospital where despite private. Care is first business second and Drs not directors decide on care, are there following, the experience of being in a priory.
They are greedy, keep you when they don't need to, tell you, you need so much day care 1-1 inpatient till they financially milk you dry or use all your insurance.
This is not the worst priory. I have been in 3 so have some experience but they are a group so the general mentality of treatment and attitude runs through all of them.
They are pretty basic in what they can do, partly because they pay so little for staff. The person checking your safety will not be on more than £8 an hour. They have very few qualifications and it is very transient.
I have been exposed to real horror and damaged mentally from priory group who used an estimated £150,000 of my insurance. I went in with one diagnosis and came out with 5. I said this was not the worse but they are as guilty as the rest.
They have ruined my life and subsequently my husband and children's forever. They are slowly becoming NHS overflow. This and north London are probably the last 2 actual private of the group but after being bought out numerous times as you can google they just keep messing up.
A number of people hurt themselves and had suicide attempts in there. If you do you are put in their special modern day padded cells, more colourful but the same concept. No comfort emotionally just prison like watching with cameras and slit on door.
So don't be fooled by posh exterior the downstairs lounge is part of the walk through kind of like a train station. Rooms are pretty awful. We slept in the garden on hot nights no air conditioning not even fans and you can't open your window so very uncomfortable.
Therapy a mixed bag of good and bad but in NHS you get none so at least you have that and slightly nicer food for your £1000 a day.
My friend and ex inmate at rohampton was just refunded after her care. You need deep pockets though, they will ignore you without a very good solicitor.
I would never recommend any priory to anyone and most who have been very unwell would say the same. They just are a business like any other, making money. They used to be good years ago, I don't know what changed, maybe a bit top heavy with directors and low on staff. Maybe the companies that keep bailing them out are changing everything.
Rohampton after 10 weeks did me harm and I have no insurance to put that right not the financial means as priory group had it all and nothing on NHS. I wish I never set foot in door.
Do yourself a favour research other hospitals. In London you will find a proper private hospital don't follow my mistake and have your life ruined. Especially if young. I can't bring myself to write what teenagers in with adults went through.
I would definitely recommend The Priory! I was treated for anxiety and depression and I was a day patient for 13 weeks. My therapists were excellent and although the treatment was at times very 'confronting' and hard work, it cured me of my illness.
Fortunately, it has been the only mental health hospital that I have ever had experience of, but it was a truly excellent and life enriching experience. Should anyone expect to stay in a 5 star hotel then they are going to be disappointed. However, if you are ill and can accept that you are ill, then The Priory will assist you in turning your life around. I cannot recommend TP highly enough and I will always remember it fondly. Indeed, it was a sanctuary filled with love and tough love that really is committed to its patients.
I was in the camhs eating disorders unit. The care I received was really bad. The place totally traumatized me and the things I had to deal with there was terrible. My consultant refused to involve me in my own care, she only told me what to do and expected me to do it. The team didn't really treat me individually I just had to go along with the rules they set yet many of them only made me worse. We were all expected to just sit down all day, we weren't allowed to stand up for even a minute, we'd get told to stop 'exercising'. We did no physical activity which was difficult to sit around all day. My parents were convinced the hospital would help me it only made me worse. I just wished I actually got a say in my own care, maybe things would've turned out differently. It was extremely difficult to go through all of I went through there. I was extremely helpless, I just didn't know what to do with myself and every time I was just told I didn't have the 'capacity' which wasn't true at all. It's was horrible. I'd say the only good thing about that place was some of the staff members who were caring and meant a lot to me. Otherwise it actually really scarred me.
My experience of the Priory was and remains extremely positive. In fact it saved my life. I cannot recommend it enough. The staff are second to none, but they won't suffer fools or tolerate nonsense. I might suggest that those not happy with the involvement in decisions about their care or felt they weren't treated as they'd expect were too unwell to make those decisions and/or still in some denial about their illness. The Priory is a hospital, not a 5 star hotel. You aren't on holiday and if you want to get better then you must expect tough love I'm afraid. Remember, the hospital will have seen it all! I was in for alcoholism and have now been sober for 16 months, without the support I received and continue to receive from the Priory (such as giving ex patient shares, keeping in touch, attending functions), I'm not sure I would even be alive. Acceptance of the problem is the first step. If you are considering going into the Priory or wanting a family member/friend to seek treatment there, you really can't go wrong unless the patient has other ideas and rebels against 'rules' or expects to be treated like 'royalty'. Recovery is hard work and if you want a holiday then this is not the place for you!
Always clean with friendly staff, very welcoming atmosphere.