Enter and view: Norton House at St Georges Hospital - Forensic Mental Health

Healthwatch Staffordshire undertook an enter and view visit to Norton House at St George's Hospital on 11 March 2025.  This visit was conducted in collaboration with the Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust, which was performing an internal quality assessment, and Healthwatch Staffordshire, which was carrying out an independent Enter and View inspection. The goal of combining these visits was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the service while minimising disruption to operations.

This was the first time Healthwatch has done a joint Quality visit with MPFT’s Quality Team for this service. It was a positive visit to Norton House. Staff and managers were able to demonstrate considerable progress in the service with a holistic approach that is needs-led. The management team has a good insight into what is needed to support both staff and service users.

• The service provided is highly personalised and tailored to each patient’s needs.
• It utilises a least restrictive model that empowers patients to take responsibility and equips them with the necessary tools for success in the community.
• There is strong evidence of effective team management, which has fostered a supportive environment that both staff and patients appreciate.
• Communication between patients and staff appears to be effective, and MPFT will continue to enhance and document this communication.
• Previous issues with Wi-Fi have been resolved following recent investments and changes.

There were two recommendations about getting feedback from patients.