Priory Hospital

The Priory Hospital, Roehampton, often referred to as The Priory,[1] is a private mental health hospital in South West London. It was founded in 1872 and is now part of the Priory Group, which was acquired in 2011 by an American private equity firm, Advent International.

This article is about the London mental health hospital. For other uses of "the Priory", see Priory (disambiguation).

The Priory Hospital, Roehampton
Priory Group
The Priory Hospital
Priory Hospital is located in London Borough of Wandsworth
Priory Hospital
Location within Wandsworth
Geography
LocationRoehampton
London, SW15
United Kingdom
Organisation
TypeMental health: outpatient and residential
Services
Beds107
History
Opened1872
Links
Websitepriorygroup.com

The Priory has an international reputation and, because of the number of celebrities who have sought treatment there, widespread coverage in the press.[2][3] The hospital treats mild to moderate mental health issues, such as stress and anxiety, through outpatient treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy as well as in-patient care for more severe psychiatric illness such as depression, psychotic illness, addictions or eating disorders. It has residential facilities for 107 patients.

Building
American singer and actor Paul Robeson, an early celebrity patient of the Priory

The Priory operates from a Grade II listed building located in Roehampton in south-west London.[4] Originally a private home, it was built in 1811[5] in the Gothic revival style.[6] The Priory has been variously described in the press as a "white Gothic mansion",[7] "Strawberry Hill Gothic",[4] and "a white-painted fantasy of Gothic spikes and battlements".[1]

History

The building was converted from a private home into a hospital in 1872[5] by William Wood, one of the first modern psychiatrists.[8] It is London's longest established private psychiatric hospital.[9] Early celebrity patients included, in the 1880s, the wife of the Victorian politician Jabez Balfour,[10] and, in the 1960s, the American singer Paul Robeson.[11]

In 1980 the hospital was acquired by an American healthcare company,[12] and became the first clinic in what was to become the Priory Group.[1] The Priory subsequently benefited from two developments in the 1980s. Firstly, celebrities began seeking treatment at the hospital,[9][2][3] attracted not only by clinical excellence,[1] but also by location and, according to one press report, "a version, much-updated, of the smartest 19th century spa experience".[1] Secondly, the National Health Service was forced to close down some of its mental health hospitals and instead began referring patients to the Priory.[1] By the early 1990s, almost half the Priory Group's patients were funded by the UK government.[1]

The Priory has also been subject to adverse comment in recent years. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy has criticised the hospital for offering treatment for "lifestyle addictions", such as compulsive texting, and because patients were paying for "the kudos attached to the clinic's name" (although it acknowledged the hospital provided a first-class service).[13]

The Priory is regulated by the UK's Care Quality Commission and is registered with the commission to provide medical treatment including the treatment of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.[14] In 2011, the Commission inspected the Priory and found that it "was not meeting one or more essential standards. Improvements are needed."[15] The commission has also stated that they have required the Priory to undertake improvements in four out of the five areas which they reviewed: treating people with respect and involving them in their care; providing care, treatment and support that meets people's needs; staffing; and quality and suitability of management.[16] In the remaining fifth area, caring for people safely and protecting them from harm, the Commission considered that all standards were met and no improvements were required.[16]

It was reported in 2010 that the Priory had undergone a £3 million refurbishment to restore it to its original 1811 condition.[4] Rooms were reportedly refurnished and repainted in colours intended to promote "well-being".[4]

Ultimate ownership of the Priory has passed through several hands since the 1980s and, in 2011, the Priory Group was sold to Advent International, an American private equity firm, by the then owner the Royal Bank of Scotland.[17]

Facilities
Rock guitarist Eric Clapton, former patient of the Priory

The Priory is the flagship hospital of the Priory Group[1][18] and is best known for treating celebrities[19] particularly for drug addiction.[20] It has been described as the British equivalent of the Betty Ford Clinic in terms of its popular image.[9][21]

Treatment programmes

The hospital provides outpatient and day patient care for people suffering from mild to moderate mental health issues and in-patient care for more severe psychiatric illness such as depression, psychotic illness or eating disorders.[22] Its healthcare services cover the following:[22]

  • General psychiatry including depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders, schizophrenia and other acute psychiatric illnesses.
  • Addiction treatment programme for addictions relating to alcohol, drugs, gambling, relationships and shopping
  • Eating disorder unit and day care services with programmes for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other conditions related to eating disorders.
  • Child and adolescent mental health service for ages 12 to 18.

Treatments offered reportedly include cognitive behavioural therapy, psychotherapy, EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing), Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) equine assisted psychotherapy, psychodrama, and art and movement therapy.[9] ECT (Electro-convulsive therapy) is also used, with about 500 to 600 treatments per year.[23] The other facilities include a fully equipped gym with fitness instructor, t'ai chi, yoga, and aerobics classes, swimming, aromatherapy and shiatsu massage.[21] It has residential facilities for 107 patients[9] who stay in individual rooms with en-suite bathrooms; fees are said to be in excess of £2,500 per week.[21]

It has been reported that the Priory has had contracts with the UK's Ministry of Defence to treat military personnel (including for PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder)[7] and with the BBC to treat a number of its executives.[20]

Priory Lodge School

In 2010, the hospital opened the Priory Lodge School in its grounds.[24] The school specialises in caring for and educating children with autistic spectrum disorders, in particular Asperger’s Syndrome and associated learning difficulties[24] and charges fees of £65,000 per year.[25] In 2014 it was rated "Good" by Ofsted, the second-highest rating in a four-point scale.[25]

Celebrity patients

See also

References
  1. "Gimme shelter". The Guardian. 5 July 1999. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  2. "Ricky Hatton books into the Priory after Cocaine binge". The Daily Express. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  3. Wearden, Graeme (18 January 2011). "RBS sells the Priory Group". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  4. "The Priory clinic is treated to a £3m rehabilitation". Evening Standard. 19 January 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  5. Fulcher, Jane (15 April 2007). "The Priory: facts and figures". The Observer. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  6. Historic England, "The Priory Hospital (including Ice house) (1184609)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 16 February 2018
  7. Rayment, Sean (7 December 2003). "Troubled soldiers get the Priory treatment". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  8. "The fab rehab (and why it's worth £875m)". Irish Independent. 7 July 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  9. "The celebrity guide to detox: Pass out, check in, and dry out". The Independent. 6 January 2007. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  10. Wright, Ed (2006). History's Greatest Scandals: Shocking Stories of Powerful People. Pier 9. p. 23. ISBN 1-74045-809-5.
  11. Nollen, Scott Allen (2010). Paul Robeson: Film Pioneer. pp. 180–181. ISBN 978-0-7864-3520-3.
  12. "RBS eyes sale of Priory to private equity". The Financial Times. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  13. "The Priory, rest home for troubled stars, is accused of 'cynical' commercial drive to sell therapy to the mass market". The Independent. 2 November 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  14. "Registration". Care Quality Commission. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  15. "Review of Compliance 2011" (PDF). Care Quality Commission. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  16. "The Priory Hospital Roehampton". Care Quality Commission. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  17. "Advent buys The Priory for £925m". The Daily Telegraph. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  18. "The Priory in rehab". The Daily Telegraph. 18 March 2007. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  19. Paton, Graeme (11 September 2009). "The Priory offers counselling to pupils". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  20. Rushton, Katherine (11 February 2012). "BBC spends £19,000 treating stressed out staff at The Priory". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  21. Tungate, Mark (2009). Luxury world: the past, present and future of luxury brands. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-7494-5856-0. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  22. "Priory Hospital Roehampton". NHS. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  23. Tallon, Lucy (13 May 2012). "What is having ECT like?". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  24. "New austism school at Priory in Roehampton". The Wandsworth Guardian. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  25. "Independent School Inspection Report" (PDF). Ofsted. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  26. "Caroline Aherne, comedian – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  27. "RBS sells celebrity rehab chain the Priory for £925million". The Daily Mirror. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  28. Yandell, Chris (9 May 2021). "Priory Hospital Marchwood given consent to rebuild old walls". Southern Daily Echo. Hampshire, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021. IT'S the Hampshire rehab clinic whose patients have included celebrities such as entertainer Michael Barrymore and footballer Paul Gascoigne.
  29. "Susan Boyle feeling 'fantastic' after leaving rehab clinic". The Daily Telegraph. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  30. Harrison, David (14 March 2009). "Antonio Carluccio: 'My marriage had collapsed. I was desperate'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  31. Aitkenhead, Decca (16 March 2009). "Decca Aitkenhead Meets Craig Charles". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  32. Sturges, Fiona (19 May 2012). "Graham Coxon: All a blur". The Independent. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  33. "Richey Edwards Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  34. Hayward, Anthony (11 September 2002). "Obituary: Michael Elphick". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 December 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
  35. "Michael Johnson Admits Priory Clinic Visits". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  36. Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/35055. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35055. Retrieved 2 January 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  37. "Simon Pegg drank whole mini-bar during Mission Impossible 3 filming". Metro.co.uk. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  38. "Katie Price checks into rehab at The Priory as she's diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after 'drug binges'". Daily Mirror. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  39. Rees, Jasper (6 April 2010). "Ruby Wax: Losing It". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  40. "Amy Winehouse checks out of Priory clinic". BBC News. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2012.

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