A mental health hospital just outside Leek is to close after it was rated 'Inadequate' by inspectors twice within the space of a year.

Leek Nub News reported previously how the Care Quality Commission gave 'inadequate' ratings to the John Munroe Hospital in Rudyard and the Edith Shaw Hospital in Leek - both of which are mental health hospitals run by the John Munroe Group - after whistleblowers came forward with concerns.

The concerns began following a Covid outbreak at the hospitals in late 2020, which resulted in several patients dying.

We also reported that Mitchell House nursing home in Kidsgrove, also operated by the John Munroe Group, received its own 'Inadequate' rating earlier this month.

The Leek and Rudyard hospitals were rated 'Inadequate' back in April 2021, but a new inspection in October of the same year found that they had both become even worse since then, and maintained the 'Inadequate' ratings.

Among many other concerns, the inspection found that staff at the hospitals were using disproportionate force with patients, including "staff surrounding a patient's chair, pointing fingers at patients and pushing patients in their back".

It also found that "medication was not always stored at the recommended temperature" and that "waste continued to not be disposed of appropriately".

Now the John Munroe Hospital in Rudyard, which can house up to 57 men and women, is to close, with its patients being moved elsewhere. The Edith Shaw Hospital however, is to remain open.

The closure was revealed in the papers for a meeting of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent CCGs which took place yesterday (Thursday 27th January).

It stated: "The John Munroe Group (JMG) made the decision to close John Munroe Hospital (keeping Edith Shaw Hospital open) and the CCGs as Host commissioners are working closely with both the JMG and all the placing commissioners to ensure safe, timely and appropriate transfer for all patients.

"A quarter of the patients have now been transferred and it is anticipated the hospital will be at 50% occupancy by the last week of January 2022, with work now focused on identifying the remaining patient transfer dates."

The closure comes in stark contrast to the statement the Munroe Group issued following its most recent 'Inadequate' inspection, in which it stated: "We would like to take the opportunity to assure our patients, staff, families and carers and the public that we are all working tirelessly to ensure that robust systems are in place to effectively safeguard and protect everyone in our care, employment including the local community.

"We are confident that working together, we can continue to build on the progress which has already been made."