My experience at this facility was marked by daily, severe violations of privacy and personal boundaries. Checks were excessively frequent (often more than 20 per day) and carried out in a manner that created an environment of intrusion rather than care. Staff repeatedly entered my room without meaningful privacy, checked on me excessively (usually “checking if I was still breathing”), questioned me while I was using the toilet, pressured me to stop using the toilet for an unscheduled meeting, dictated personal grooming, controlled my environment, and pressured me into actions against my will on a daily basis. Serious health concerns, including symptoms that warranted urgent medical assessment, were repeatedly dismissed without appropriate investigation. This lack of action raises significant questions about patient safety and clinical oversight. On one night, I experienced sudden, excrutiating pain—the most intense pain I ever felt—and I shouted out at the top of my lungs within absolutely clear audibility. Not a single person came to my aid. Staff conduct was consistently unprofessional. Communication was often condescending, pressuring, or dismissive, creating an oppressive atmosphere instead of a therapeutic one. The environment functioned as a controlling institution rather than a place intended for recovery. Noise, disruption, and unpredictable routines made rest and stability extremely difficult. Essential needs were handled in rigid and coercive ways, directly increasing distress. Due to the seriousness of these issues, I am reviewing the events that took place and will be pursuing appropriate avenues to hold those responsible fully accountable. No patient—especially in a vulnerable state—should experience disregard, privacy violations, or unsafe conditions in any healthcare setting. Based on these events, I do not recommend this facility under any circumstances. Major improvements are required to ensure patient dignity, safety, and proper care.
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Reviews
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Justin ★☆☆☆☆
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Jonathan Priaulx ★☆☆☆☆
I was a patient here for approximately a month. While there were some positive aspects, there is definite room for improvement across several areas. Communication between patients, nursing staff, administrative staff, and doctors could be more consistent and coordinated. During my stay on Sandpiper Ward, the environment often felt stuffy, and the facilities appeared dated — a refurbishment would make a significant difference. The televisions are quite small, and staffing levels occasionally seemed insufficient to meet patient needs effectively. The discharge process also requires improvement, as it took over two hours for mine to be completed. The beds were uncomfortable, which made rest and recovery more difficult. I also feel that the medical team would benefit from a greater understanding of chronic pain syndrome, as this seemed to be an area of limited awareness. While some staff members were kind and professional, others were less so, and at times it felt that accountability for genuine concerns and complaints was lacking. Additionally, the quality of food from the canteen was poor and could be significantly improved, as nutrition plays a key role in the recovery process.
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Barry Edmead ★☆☆☆☆
My wife was here for 4 months, place is horrendous, there are some lovely members of staff but there is also some very rude incompetent staff. They mixed up meds , the communication between staff is a joke. My wife was moved to St Anne's and within 2 days she has improved more than the whole time at the sandpiper ward. They haven't got a clue. There's a person called Alana who is the most rude individual ive met in 50 years of living. Gave 1 star as had too. Place is a hell hole. St Annes is alot better friendlier and staff know what they are doing. Also the food for patients is like dog food.
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Me Me ★☆☆☆☆
Awful hospital. I was brought there last year as my local acute ward didn’t have any beds. I deteriorated so quickly that I had to be sent to a PICU - which was the best thing to happen to me because I was treated with dignity and respect at said PICU. They did not body map me at the priory after being covered in bruises from DV (the reason I was taken to a&e), staff would swing metal handcuffs around in the air like it was a rodeo and staff allowed other patients to attack me. I was given a diagnosis before even meeting the psychiatrist or without ever having an MDT. I would name and shame the staff who treated me unkindly but I don’t think that would solve anything. Most HCA’s were tolerable and some were incredibly kind but a lot of them were behaving like patients themselves. The daytime ward manager was not professional, nor kind or empathic. She would come storming in my room & shouting saying you’re disrupting my patients, as if I wasn’t also a patient in distress? She also made me strip in front of male staff members because she accused me of hiding medication - which was later found on the floor so all of that embarrassment was for nothing. She eventually apologised to me and I think that if a staff member has been so cruel that they have been asked to apologise that says a lot - but hey, hear no evil speak no evil right? The food was very nice I must say, nice toiletries, and rooms were ok if not a little outdated. Beautiful scenery but that’s it as far as the appeal goes for this dump of a hospital. My parents made a formal complaint at the time, and it’s in my care plan that I would never be sent back there if I were ever in a similar predicament. If the Priory Marchwood team sees this, do me a favour and don’t just copy and paste your response, “rest assured” it won’t take back the pain that was caused. I hope you take on board the sway of negative reviews and make a positive change for your patients sakes.
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Melissa Carr ★☆☆☆☆
I attended this treatment facility around 2018. The experience has stayed with me due to a bad experience with one counsellor. I'm now 4 years clean and after much work on myself I feel I can write an honest review. It's a lovely location, rooms are comfortable, Nursing staff were fantastic as were the doctors and the other counselors. The counsellor I didn't have a good experience with was very open about her story to everyone(she came to AA when she was 19, met a man on a motorcycle and had spiritual awakening and never drank again). It started when we were in group therapy and she said something to me that I can see today triggered me. It went back and forth and finally she asked how I was feeling and I responded and calmly said "I'm feeling like I really dislike you as a person". Well let me tell you... My card was marked on that day!! I apologised at the end of the session and everything seemed fine or so I thought until the next group session and every one after! It became apparent she wasn't happy with me but she wouldn't actually say it. She would go round the room at the start or end of the session and check in with everyone (multiple times I was the only one left out of this even though I was sat there, it was quite obvious). I just felt she was being passive aggressive with me. In one session she asked us "what did drugs do for you" at my turn I started to say " well at first I felt like they gave me confidence and..." She cut me off in a raised voice saying "no no no your wrong". She literally had cut me off mid sentence and I was about to follow on with all the things drugs took from me but she didn't let me. The tone of her voice and the way she spoke to me I felt extremely shamed in front of the group. When I read out my life story and we all gave feedback to each other she really kept emphasising how 'awful' I was in addiction. She just didn't go that hard on the others in the group. There was also another lady there(4th admission). I noticed the same sort of behaviours towards this lady. On one occasion in a group where the lady said something she responded with "well how many times have you been in here (name)!" and rolled her eyes. I just felt she had her favourites then she had her scapegoats. I did approach her when this kept going on and explained I felt she was upset with me and could feel it in the group, I apologised again if I'd upset her. In another group she was tearful as she had lost a close friend and she was clearly upset. She asked us all to say a prayer later for her deceased friend and spoke about her a lot. I understand how hard grief can be but I didn't think this was professional, we all had a lot going on and needed to focus on getting better. She probably needed to take a few days of compassionate leave so she could effectively do her job. This just showed me her professional boundaries were not healthy. I ended up leaving early, I take full responsibility for that. I'm not in anyway saying it was this councellors fault. However it did enforce my decision when I started having doubts. She wasn't happy I was going, she was extremely short, and rude to me. When my peers were saying their goodbyes she basically told me she didn't want me anywhere near them. She could have gone about it in a different way. None of the other members of staff had any issues with people saying their goodbyes. I had a doctor and another councellor who spent some time with me before I left, they explained about the high risks of overdose when someone leaves and they obviously tried to convince me to stay but respected my decision. ALL the members of staff said goodbye and wished me all the best of luck APART from this councillor. It just confirmed to me I wasn't wrong about her. Ultimately if a councellor hasn't got good professional boundaries and is unable to separate their own opinions from their professional work, they are probably in the wrong line of work. I felt this councellor let her own issues/behaviours leak into her work and just wasn't professional.
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Donovan Richards ★☆☆☆☆
The health care assistants that work here are okay at what they do, providing the poor working conditions. Unfortunately they are let down by an unprofessional, whilst somewhat poorly trained/under qualified Human Sources and management team. Leading to a very odd atmosphere that can not be trusted. Cabinets left open with medication on display, rushed through room searches, medication being injected at the drop of a hat because there are not enough staff to handle an escalated situation. All resulting in poor treatment that gets swept under a very large carpet....
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julie ballard ★★★★★
beautiful place and met some beautiful people in the process. I had a beautiful room and bath and shower all to my self and the food was amazing and the people I met were lovely
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Hayley Brennan ★☆☆☆☆
I hated being in here. They didn’t help me at all. I still after 5 months still haven’t got some of my stuff back. They lied about when I was discharged. They said the opposite of what I said. It’s was so triggering being in there. During the week I couldn’t phone family till 4:00pm. I was never supported. If someone was banging their head against the wall you had to go and tell someone and then still after like 5 minuets they still didn’t do anything and when they did all you would hear was the child screaming. It’s not a safe place as people were still able to hurt their selfs. There’s no curtains for privacy. The toilet door wasn’t even a door you could still see in from the top and bottom. There is cameras in the room but the do not work. Also because I wanted to go home they put a section on me. They didn’t listen to what I had to say. You couldn’t have your phone although in dragonfly in Lowestoft you are aloud. I wouldn’t advise anyone to go there. It doesn’t even deserve one star.
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Sean Burke ★★★★★
Had an alcohol detox here and couldn't reccomend enough.The staff were amazing and genuinely cared and had an understanding of what I was going through. Anyone in a similar situation I would highly recommend making contact.Very peaceful surroundings and highly trained staff; this could be the start of a new you!
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Gina Cable ★★★★★
I had a nervous breakdown and spent quite a few weeks in the priory. The care i received was over and above what i expected. The staff were wonderful and the builing itself was beautiful and so were the grounds. A very pleasant stay for a very unpleasant reason. I owe the priory my life and sanity. Marchwood will always be remembered fondly.
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What is the address of Priory Hospital Southampton?
Priory Hospital Southampton is located at Marchwood Pk, Marchwood, Southampton SO40 4DA, UK
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