The Edenfield Centre in Prestwich, which is run by Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), is set to be named the ‘Riverside Centre’.
Bosses say that the name change follows feedback from inpatients, carers and staff at the centre and recognises their “commitment to building better services”.
An undercover probe by the BBC in 2022 alleged shocking levels of abuse at the Prestwich site, with footage aired showing staff mocking, slapping and pinching patients, using inappropriate restraint – according to experts – and faking paperwork intended to ensure patient safety.
The BBC’s undercover reporter spent three months as a healthcare support worker at The Edenfield Centre’s medium secure unit as part of its investigative TV series, Panorama, following whistle-blower allegations of poor staff behaviour and patient safety at the hospital.
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) told Panorama it was taking the allegations “very seriously” and had taken “immediate actions to protect patient safety”.
A number of staff members were sacked and suspended, and the trust worked closely with Greater Manchester Police, the independent healthcare regulator the Care Quality Commission and NHS England.
Further concerns were raised following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection last year, with a report finding concerns over staff being expected to “carry out observations for several hours without a break” and not feeling “able to speak up about concerns”.
Inspectors noted that blind spots on several wards weren’t adequately addressed and that some ligature risk assessments were undated.
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The regulator served a warning notice on GMMH last year for a series of failures including a lack of effective governance systems, ligature risks and fire safety concerns, medicines not being managed safely, ward security systems not consistently keeping people safe, infection prevention and control risks and staff not being up to date with mandatory training.
It is hoped that the name change will “mark a significant milestone in the recovery journey” for the medium secure adult forensic mental health inpatient unit.
Karen Howell, chief executive of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) said: “This is about recognising that we’re moving forward, reflecting on the past and working hand in glove with our service users and the staff who support those service users in that centre, to rebuild our medium and low secure services.”