children being chronically low caused “significant” damage staffing levels In mental health hospitals hit by scandals, whistleblower Already said
one in Third disclosure in poor care allegations At private hospitals run by The Huntercombe Group, former staff have claimed that staffing levels were so low “every day” that patients were neglected, resulting in:
- Patients below the age of 13 are being forcibly fed while being restrained
- left alone to harm themselves instead of being looked after
- Left to “wet themselves” because staff could not supervise going to the toilet
A staff member, Rebecca Smith, said she had tears in her eyes after restraining and force-feeding a patient.
come as their account Independent can reveal that the organization is now facing dozens of medical negligence claims and a possible class action.
Are you impressed by this story? Email rebecca.thomas@indident.co.uk
Following a series of testsby s Independent and Sky News, 50 patients came forward with allegations of “systemic abuse”and two decades of poor care in children’s mental health hospitals run by the organization.
government since Introduced “rapid review” in inpatient mental health units After the reporting of this newspaper across the country.
Police are also investigating the death of a young girl at Taplow Manor Hospital, Maidenhead, Berkshire, and the provider. Alleged rape of a child with two employees. It is understood that several staff members have made allegations of sexual misconduct against a worker there.
Active Care Group, which now owns The Huntercombe Group hospitals, said it was not aware of any current outstanding employee complaints.
Staffing levels low ‘every day’
Callum Smith, a former staff member who worked at Taplow Manor Hospital from June 2019 to February 2022, said that while there were good staff, staff were “very short every day”.
Patients take pictures of blood on the walls at Taplow Manor Hospital
(Former Patient – Huntercombe Group)
“It wasn’t safe just because of a lack of staff and training… there were a lot of incidents that could have been avoided. There would have been more staff,” Mr Smith said.
The carer said they were so short on staff that they could not escort patients to the toilets, leaving them to “basically wet themselves”.
“Being able to use a toilet is a basic human right and just because we weren’t able to provide that it was shameful… It was disgusting, it really is,” he said.
Mr Smith resigned from Huntercombe after receiving a written warning to take an unspecified leave of absence in October 2022.
Rebecca Smith, a support care worker employed from May 2021 to November 2021, said Independent That she became aware of staffing issues very quickly.
“There weren’t enough staff to respond to incidents as they happened, and patients knew that and took advantage of that.”
‘I left the room and cried’
Most of the 50 patients exposed during IndependentThere were allegations of excessive restraint by the staff in the investigation.
Patients as young as 13 have come forward with harrowing stories of being restrained and force-fed while they were at the unit.
Ms Smith said: “What really caught my attention in your article was your allegation of excessive force being used when tube feeding patients. I remember the first time in 2021 I was helped with one of these restraints I had to do it and I left the room and cried as soon as it was over. It was horrible for me so I can’t even imagine what it was like for the patient.
“I had to help with one of these restraints and as soon as it was over I left the room crying. It was horrible for me so I can’t imagine what it was like for the patient”
Rebecca Smith
A 2018 Care Quality Commission (CQC) report found “significant flaws” in The Huntercombe Group’s governance, which adversely affected care in five of its children’s hospitals. The organisation, under its current owners Active Care Group, now faces another leadership review by the CQC in March.
A former senior manager who worked in hospitals till 2020 told Independent There was a “lack of oversight” from leaders, which he said caused serious security issues to be missed.
He said: “I don’t think they [in Maidenhead] necessarily had sufficient staff or leadership within the hospital
“In a special ward, they grouped girls who were being fed continuously through nasogastric tubes in a sort of rota [for forced-feeding], It was very, very painful for them, not only for the patients but also for the nursing staff… There were also very high standards of physical restraint.”
The manager suggested that despite the concerns being raised, The hospital continued to be taken over by the NHS. to provide care due to a “complete lack of facilities for young people” with such complex needs.
David McMullen of the GMB union, which represents more than 100 staff at The Huntercombe Group’s Taplow Hospital, said the biggest concern was not having enough staff to manage patients, given the complex needs of some There should have been only four employees. getting two.
‘The girls were being fed continuously through a nasogastric tube in a sort of rota’
former senior manager
One staff member described working there as “hell”, adding that they would “rather work in retail”.
“I’ve met with every member there who raises concerns, they range in severity, some are general staffing concerns, some are more serious allegations. But I don’t think anybody is thinking that how it is working is how it should be,” he said.
CQC has raised concerns about staffing levels in a number of earlier reports for Taplow Manor and its Stafford unit, which is still open. However, the most recent report from Taplow in August 2022 stated that workforce levels were adequate.
In a statement, Mark McGee, partner at Hutcheon Law, said he was representing 20 former patients at three of his children’s hospitals against The Huntercombe Group, and four more were in discussions.
A spokesman for Active Care Group said: “These unconfirmed allegations undermine the tremendous efforts being made by current staff at Taplow Manor to help care for them. The hospital treats the most vulnerable young people in the south of the country, Takes in patients who can no longer be managed by other hospitals or community teams, and who are a risk to themselves or others. The eating disorders ward treats patients who are so unwell that they do not realize they are eating His life is in danger.
(Google Map)
“These allegations have been made by two junior former members of staff: one of whom was subject to disciplinary action. Neither has worked at the hospital for over a year.
“Staff at Taplow Manor are monitored daily, and shifts are fully staffed, often with an additional two to three staff per shift, as well as therapists, doctors, teachers, nurses and ward managers. Any issues raised by colleagues are investigated and action is taken through disciplinary procedures and professional bodies.
The statement said CQC inspections are unannounced and hospitals are being “frequently” visited by the group management team, the NHS Trust and NHS England.
Ally Investments Group, which previously owned The Huntercombe Group, said: “We regret that these hospitals and specialist care services, which were owned and independently managed by The Huntercombe Group, have failed to deliver the high quality care expected failed to meet the standards. The Huntercombe Group was sold in March 2021 and the 12 hospitals and specialist care services that were the subject of that sale are now part of the Active Care Group. Wish you well.
An NHS spokesman said it continued to monitor the two units by making regular site visits and speaking to current patients following the “shocking allegations”.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said the allegations were “extremely worrying” and that NHS England and local trusts had since taken “urgent action” to work with Active Care Groups to improve the standard of care.