The Langford Centre - Bexhill-on-Sea

kiana M.

As a brief patient here; these are my first hand experiences: Do not allow yourself or your loved ones to come here. The staff do not care, leave you to scream and cry alone outside, become aggressive, and melt down. I am autistic with adhd, bpd and bipolar 2 and am prescribed diazapam for meltdowns, they did not give me my diazapam for about two hours and as a result I had a very bad episode, and only got my diazapam because I wouldn't stop asking for it. They allow patients to play music very loudly, which disrupted me a lot and heightened my episode, when I asked staff to ask them to turn down their music, they replied "music helps to calm them down". There was a lady in a room near mine who they weren't allowing to have her diazapam, or even a cigarette, so she was physically threatening staff, shouting, and pounding on everyone's (including mine) door, causing me great distress. Nothing was done about this and the lady was left to suffer and melt down alone. I was voluntary so immediately after this, I checked myself out. The security here is horrific, and staff and patients are both at risk, all the time. The food here, I wouldn't feed my dog, and I can imagine prison food is a lot better. Prior to me leaving a young man told me that he was being physically abused by other patients, but that staff were doing nothing. I feel so sorry for people who are stuck here, the place is a disgrace and needs to be shut down, ASAP. Honestly this was one of the worst experiences of my life.

Hilary A.

Caring staff during the day and during the night. However as every case is different things such as: special diet, sports/ exercise options, are need it to be improve through better communication between nurses, ocupational therapists, managers and all the building staff not just Fairlight ward. Thanks for the caring and always keep listening to patients needs.

Traci

For Mental Health Support it’s Truly shocking, not in a good way!!! Being doped up with medication but not being supported in any other way isn’t what a Decent Mental Health hospital should be doing. The food is despicable, the rooms are filthy, you can’t understand the staff either!!

Kevin A.

Even though arriving at the langford centre was extremely stressful, the experience in Cooden Ward was as good as it can be. Very helpful and kind support workers, who appear to be in the job for the right reasons. The quality of the food was also good for vegans, it is not an after thought, much effort is given. Thanks to the amazing staff for making my stay bearable.

Sam N. (.

My recent stay at the langford centre Mental Hospital left an immensely bitter taste in my mouth. From the moment I stepped foot in this facility, it was evident that their priority was anything but the well-being of their patients. Allow me to outline the various reasons why my experience was nothing short of disheartening:

1. Staff Incompetence: Throughout my stay, I encountered numerous staff members who displayed a shocking lack of competence. From the doctors who seemed disinterested in my concerns to the unprofessional and uncaring attitude of the nursing staff, it was abundantly clear that patient care was not a priority. Their neglectful behavior only served to exacerbate my mental distress rather than offering support and guidance.

2. Lack of Individualized Treatment: The hospital persistently failed to provide personalized treatment plans to suit individual patients' needs. Instead, it adopted a one-size-fits-all approach, rendering the care generic and ineffective. Treatments were administered without considering patients' unique circumstances, leaving me feeling like just another number in a long list of cases.

3. Inadequate Therapy and Support: Mental health hospitals are meant to be a place of solace, offering therapeutic activities and comprehensive support. Unfortunately, langford Mental Hospital fell woefully short in this regard. Group therapy sessions lacked proper structure and facilitation, often turning into aimless chatter rather than meaningful discussions. There was also a conspicuous absence of individual therapy, which could have offered much-needed guidance during such trying times.

4. Disorganized Administration: The hospital's administrative team appeared to be drowning in disarray. Scheduling mishaps, delays in medication dispensation, and a lack of clear communication between departments were recurrent issues during my stay. This level of disorganization only served to amplify the anxiety and frustration that already occupied my mind.

In summary, my experience at langford Mental Hospital was highly disappointing and disheartening. The lack of competent staff, absence of individualized treatment, inadequate therapy and support, and disorganized administration all contributed to an atmosphere of neglect and despair. It is my sincere hope that this review serves as a wake-up call to the management of the langford centre Mental Hospital to recognize the dire need for improvement and prioritize the well-being of their patients.

Severalnames

Night staff would mainly spend their shift sitting in the TV room, absorbed by their phones, playing games and watching videos. 15 minute observations were not adhered to which directly led to a patient a couple of doors down from me having the space, time, and lack of observational care, making it possible for him to take his own life.

I have been in several psychiatric settings and have never seen such an appalling, dangerous, and lazy lack of basic care. I have never experienced such a sad and stomach churning incident on any other wards.

Health and safety, and the CQC interviewed the remaining patients on the ward (Cooden) and were obviously shocked by what they were told. I'm amazed it wasn't put in 'Special Measures' or even closed down. I live in fear of being sectioned and being placed in the The Langford Centre. NHS settings are far superior. Avoid this place at all costs - the staff are just dialing it in.

Charles-Carter P.

I've just finished being an inpatient (with various times on leave) for 6 weeks. It's always distressing to need mental health intervention, but if you need time out and and a good team to attend to your mental health, I would recommend Bramley Health / Langford Centre and in particular Arlington Ward (if you're male) as a place to rest, get better and restart your life. Quite unusually Arlington Ward (where I stayed) was both very clean and very quiet; so it became ideal as a place to break my insomnia and also not worry about catching some horrible disease.

I found nearly all the staff very pleasant; good people who took their job seriously, and the one time I did have a problem with a member of staff; once I found I way to get my voice across clearly, they took my complaint seriously and delt with the matter well.

Also, it's a great location, with a nice in-ward garden plus an excellent hospital garden you can visit once you have s.17 leave. And if you get to be informal (which I would always recommend) Bexhill is a great town to wonder around, visit the sea or go to a café. I had a very good rest here and made a good recovery.

I found all the teams on the Ward to be useful - from the main medical team, to the psychology department, activities team and of course the support care workers on the ward - many of whom I found to be very friendly.

Also, the food was very good and it's it's a nice space in which to get better in. Honestly, they seem to have the opposite problems to some places with patients reluctant to move on...! Anyway, as for me, I was happy to return home to my wife and child - if I was unlucky enough to need in-patient treatment again, I would hope to go to somewhere as pleasant and calming as the Langford Centre / Arlington Ward. Get a referral through your GP is all I can say - use A&E crisis team as a last resort!

Only critical comments would be to have a more functional way of raising issues with Administration / Management teams of the hospital; and to be introduced more formally / have more contact with the Ward Manager. Otherwise, the staff were great and I'm happy to be much better now. Thank you Bramley Health.

CarrieAnn S.

I stayed on Fairlight ward. The standard of care is second to none with amazing caring staff. Do not listen to negative reviews, I've never made such a speedy recovery.