But Katie Fisher admits this is her vision for St Andrew’s Healthcare, the UK’s biggest independent charitable provider of NHS mental healthcare, and she intends to make a start this year by closing at least 100 of its 860 beds. Fisher, who moved from NHS management to become chief executive of St Andrew’s 18 months ago, accepts that the charity lost its way. At any one time there are between 35 and 50 people stuck in St Andrew’s with no further clinical needs but nowhere to move to. The CQC re-inspected the service before Christmas and a draft report is awaited by St Andrew’s, but she thinks it likely to “still be critical” while acknowledging some improvement. Fisher admits that the task at St Andrew’s has turned out much bigger than she expected.

Source: The Guardian January 15, 2020 06:00 UTC