A PSYCHIATRIC hospital in Maidenhead which was declared “unfit for purpose” by the CQC has announced it will be closing.

Taplow Manor is a specialist child and adolescent mental health inpatient service managed by Active Care Group.

The service previously operated under the name Huntercombe Hospital Maidenhead, but has since changed management.

On Friday, March 24, the site was issued a final warning from CQC inspectors who slammed the site for its “state of disrepair”and the health watchdog called for vital improvements to bring the service up to standard.

The report also highlighted staff training improvements required in areas including documentation handling and patient observation, as well as the need for young people to be involved with their care plan.

It comes as Thames Valley Police continue to investigate an allegation of a rape at the former hospital, which was reported to them on November 3, 2022.

The report, submitted by a third party, documented the alleged incident from 2019 involving a girl who was a patient at Taplow Manor.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “The force is conducting a thorough investigation into the allegation.

“No arrests have been made at this stage of the investigation.”

Active Care group has now announced the closure of multiple wards at Taplow Manor, including Tamar Ward, which provides tier four CAMHS general adolescent services, and Kennet Ward, which provides care for patients with eating disorders.

A spokesperson for Active Care group said: “Our difficult decision to close CAMHs beds at Taplow Manor has been made as a direct result of the Thames Valley Provider Collaborative stopping admissions to Tamar and Kennet Wards on 23 March, 2023.

“While the hospital’s Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) has been left open to admissions by the Collaborative, the ‘pause to admissions’ on the other wards has, in fact, now made this aspect of our service untenable, despite the PICU caring for patients with the highest need and those most at risk.

“The safety of our patients, and ensuring they receive the right specialist care for them, is paramount.

“Due to patient numbers reducing, we will lose specialist staff and therefore the ability to provide an effective and safe service to these young people"

It added: “Under the terms of our contract with the NHS we are then no longer able to guarantee we have the required resources to deliver CAMHs services.”

A final date for the closure has not yet been announced, but Active Care Group has stated all CAMHs patients are to be moved from the hospital by end of May 2023.