THE number of violent incidents at a mental health hospital in Winchfield is “disturbing”, a watchdog has said.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has formally warned Vista Independent Hospital, in Old Potbridge Road, to make urgent improvements to protect patients from abuse, following an inspection in November last year.

It found the hospital recorded 334 incidents of physical abuse or violence in seven months, including 272 incidents where staff were reported to have been assaulted, sometimes needing hospital treatment.

The watchdog had previously found “serious failings” after an inspection in 2012 at the hospital, which can take up to 69 patients with mental health needs or learning disabilities and is run by Fairhome Care Group (WL) Limited.

Karen Wilson, CQC head of inspection, said: “We have told Fairhome Care Group (WL) Limited that they must take action to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people in their care.

“Some patients told us that they were well cared for – but too many felt angry and frustrated by how they were treated. They told us that staff did not listen to them and did not treat them with respect.”

She added: “The number of violent incidents is disturbing – yet we found little evidence that the provider had the specialist skills or systems to learn from these incidents and prevent them happening in the first place.”

The CQC said the hospital had agreed not to admit any further patients while a specialist team is brought in to oversee improvements.

Inspectors found that the hospital was in breach of 12 national regulations, during an unannounced inspection that lasted three days in November.

Breaches included not always having enough members of staff to care for people safely, not reporting all violent incidents to the CQC that involved calling the police, and not taking reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse.

Inspectors will return unannounced to check on progress, the CQC said.

In a statement, Fairhome Care Group (WL) Limited said the report was an "uncomprimising catalogue" of issues faced by a newly-appointed clinical and management team at Vista.

It added: "The formal warnings reinforce the importance and urgency that the new Vista management, and the specialist team they brought in, have been and are bringing to making and sustaining the improvements for patients.

"Following the inspection in November 2014 a voluntary standstill was put on patient admissions and as a first priority immediate steps were taken by clinical, care staff and management working with stakeholders, patients and relatives to ensure patient safety and quality of care."

It added that "considerable strides"  had been made to meet CQC targets, after working with NHS England.