A damning report has revealed a mental health hospital is failing to safeguard patients against abuse.

Inspectors said action needs to be taken in seven areas following an unannounced visit to Langley Green Hospital in Crawley.

The hospital, run by the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, is a psychiatric inpatient unit caring for people with urgent mental health problems.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited the hospital in February after concerns were raised.

Inspectors found the hospital was not meeting standards regarding respecting and involving people who use services, their care and welfare and safeguarding them against abuse.

The care home did not meet all requirements on management of medicines, staffing, assessing and monitoring the quality of services and patient records.

During their two-day visit, inspectors were told there was “little or no” occupational therapies provided on the ward, and patients became bored, which could cause frustration and aggression.

The CQC’s report said was a lack of consistency in practice and the quality of care provided and patients’ dignity was not always upheld.

It also found some practices undermined patients’ independence and their physical healthcare needs had not always been adequately met.

Inspectors found the monitoring of the use of seclusion and restraint were poor and not all staff had received current relevant training in relation to restraint or safeguarding.

There was also insufficient staff to ensure patients consistently received one-to-one time and bank and agency workers were regularly used to provide cover.

The report said the hospital had not experienced a stable and consistent management team since 2012, which had a negative impact on the quality of care.

A new team is now in place and plans had been made to effect change in the culture and practices of the hospital.

Inspectors said the trust had already identified the problems and put measures in place to address them.

A trust spokesman said: “We are committed to continuously improving all of our services.

“Receiving independent, expert feedback is one important way to identify what we do well and where we need to improve.

“We apologise for any shortcomings in the care and treatment we provide to the patients and communities we serve.

“We accept these findings and are working hard to address them without delay.

“Some of the issues identified by the CQC were dealt with as soon as they were highlighted. “This includes putting extra consultant psychiatrist medical cover in place on our wards and responding to patient feedback about meal times.

“We have provided the CQC with a detailed action plan setting out exactly how and by when we will have resolved each item they raised with us.”

The CQC will be visiting the hospital again to make sure improvements have been made.