Priory Hospital

Building

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

History

The building was converted from a private home into a hospital in 1872 It is London's longest established private psychiatric hospital. Early celebrity patients included, in the 1880s, the wife of the Victorian politician Jabez Balfour, and, in the 1960s, the American singer Paul Robeson.

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

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).

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. In 2011, the Commission inspected the Priory and found that it "was not meeting one or more essential standards. Improvements are needed." 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. 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.

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

Ultimate ownership of the Priory has passed through several hands since the 1980s and, in 2011, the Priory Group was sold by Royal Bank of Scotland to Advent International, an American private equity firm. In 2016, Priory Group was sold to Arcadia Healthcare, a US company, and in 2021 it was then sold to Waterland, a Dutch private equity company.

Facilities

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

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. Its healthcare services cover the following:

• 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. The other facilities include a fully equipped gym with fitness instructor, tai chi, yoga, and aerobics classes, swimming, aromatherapy and shiatsu massage. It has residential facilities for 107 patients who stay in individual rooms with en-suite bathrooms; fees are said to be in excess of £2,500 per week.

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) and with the BBC to treat a number of its executives.

Priory Lodge School

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

Celebrity patients

• Caroline Aherne
• Lily Allen
• Michael Barrymore
• George Best
• Susan Boyle
• Antonio Carluccio
• Tom Chaplin
• Craig Charles
• Eric Clapton
• Graham Coxon
• Pete Doherty
• Johnny Depp
• Richey Edwards
• Michael Elphick
• Paul Gascoigne
• Jade Goody
• Justin Hawkins
• Lady Isabella Hervey
• Michael Johnson
• John McGeogh
• Jim Mollison
• Kate Moss
• Sinéad O'Connor
• António Horta Osório
• Ronnie O'Sullivan
• Marti Pellow
• Katie Price
• Gail Porter
• Paul Robeson
• Ruby Wax
• Robbie Williams
• Amy Winehouse
• Paula Yates

References

References

1. (5 July 1999). "Gimme shelter". [[The Guardian]].
2. Wearden, Graeme. (18 January 2011). "RBS sells the Priory Group". [[The Guardian]].
3. (19 January 2010). "The Priory clinic is treated to a £3m rehabilitation". [[Evening Standard]].
4. Fulcher, Jane. (15 April 2007). "The Priory: facts and figures". [[The Observer]].
5. {{NHLE
6. Rayment, Sean. (7 December 2003). "Troubled soldiers get the Priory treatment". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
7. (7 July 2005). "The fab rehab (and why it's worth £875m)". [[Irish Independent]].
8. (6 January 2007). "The celebrity guide to detox: Pass out, check in, and dry out". [[The Independent]].
9. Wright, Ed. (2006). "History's Greatest Scandals: Shocking Stories of Powerful People". Pier 9.
10. (20 May 2010). "RBS eyes sale of Priory to private equity". [[The Financial Times]].
11. (2 November 2003). "The Priory, rest home for troubled stars, is accused of 'cynical' commercial drive to sell therapy to the mass market". The Independent.
12. "Registration". [[Care Quality Commission]].
13. (September 2011). "Review of Compliance 2011". [[Care Quality Commission]].
14. "The Priory Hospital Roehampton". [[Care Quality Commission]].
15. (18 January 2011). "Advent buys The Priory for £925m". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
16. Ruddick, Graham. (2016-01-04). "US-owned Acadia Healthcare buys the Priory for £1.28bn". The Guardian.
17. Neate, Rupert. (2020-12-30). "Priory rehab clinics sold to private equity firm for £1.1bn". The Guardian.
18. (18 March 2007). "The Priory in rehab". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
19. Paton, Graeme. (11 September 2009). "The Priory offers counselling to pupils". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
20. Rushton, Katherine. (11 February 2012). "BBC spends £19,000 treating stressed out staff at The Priory". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
21. Tungate, Mark. (2009). "Luxury world: the past, present and future of luxury brands". Kogan Page Publishers.
22. "Priory Hospital Roehampton". [[National Health Service.
23. (31 May 2010). "New austism school at Priory in Roehampton". The Wandsworth Guardian.
24. (14 February 2014). "Independent School Inspection Report". [[Ofsted]].
25. (2 July 2016). "Caroline Aherne, comedian – obituary". The Daily Telegraph.
26. (19 January 2011). "RBS sells celebrity rehab chain the Priory for £925million". [[The Daily Mirror]].
27. Yandell, Chris. (9 May 2021). "Priory Hospital Marchwood given consent to rebuild old walls". [[Southern Daily Echo]].
28. (7 Jun 2009). "Susan Boyle feeling 'fantastic' after leaving rehab clinic". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
29. Harrison, David. (14 March 2009). "Antonio Carluccio: 'My marriage had collapsed. I was desperate'". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
30. Aitkenhead, Decca. (16 March 2009). "Decca Aitkenhead Meets Craig Charles". [[The Guardian]].
31. Sturges, Fiona. (19 May 2012). "Graham Coxon: All a blur". [[The Independent]].
32. (24 November 2008). "Richey Edwards Obituary". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
33. Hayward, Anthony. (11 September 2002). "Obituary: Michael Elphick". [[The Independent]].
34. (2013-01-16). "Michael Johnson Admits Priory Clinic Visits". Huffingtonpost.co.uk.
35. (2004-09-23). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography".
36. (2018-06-15). "Katie Price checks into rehab at The Priory as she's diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after 'drug binges'". Daily Mirror.
37. Nollen, Scott Allen. (2010). "Paul Robeson: Film Pioneer". McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.
38. Rees, Jasper. (6 April 2010). "Ruby Wax: Losing It". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
39. (2 June 2011). "Amy Winehouse checks out of Priory clinic". [[BBC News]].