Tory council review challenges use of ‘profit driven’ private hospitals

The review, commissioned by Conservative-controlled Norfolk Council, was carried out by the safeguarding expert who authored a major report on the Winterbourne View abuse scandal.

Margaret Flynn found “indifferent and harmful” care of patients with learning disabilities at Cawston Park, near Norwich, and argued that unless such hospitals “cease to receive public money, such lethal outcomes will persist.”

Her report said: “The roots of private, specialist hospitals reside in business opportunism and profit-driven priorities.

“These are hospitals in which patients receive neither specialist assessment nor credible ‘observations’ and treatment. The deaths of three young adults must plausibly question the ‘system response’ – [the] Care Quality Commission’s continued registration of such hospitals and their continued use by CCGs and NHS England.”

The deaths happened between April 2018 and July 2020.

Earlier this year the CQC rated the hospital inadequate and began an enforcement process to cancel its registration, after which the provider, Jeesal Akman Care Corporation, decided to close the hospital. The company went into liquidation in June.

However, Ms Flynn said the intervention of regulators had come too late to prevent some shocking examples of poor care, such as excessive use of restraint and seclusion by unqualified staff, “unsafe grouping” and over-medication of patients, and relatives’ concerns being ignored.

One of the patients who died, Joanna Bailey, was found unresponsive in her bed one night after staff failed to carry out regular checks on her. Six staff members, including a registered nurse, did not attempt resuscitation when she was found, the report said.

CCTV footage showed another patient, Ben King, being pushed roughly and hit over the head. Norfolk Police are said to be investigating.

The provider has said in a statement: “The care [the patients] received at Cawston Hospital fell far below the standards we would have expected.

“We are deeply sorry that we let the families down. We closed Cawston Park Hospital and whilst the property is owned by our holding company, we will never run it as hospital again nor will we ever operate any other hospital.”

Claire Murdoch, national mental health director for NHS England, said the review findings were fully accepted and NHSE had introduced a number of measures including the urgent review of care plans for all patients with a learning disability receiving inpatient care.

The CQC said it reported concerns it had received to the provider, and a lack of progress to improve had prompted the regulator to prevent the hospital from admitting new patients.

The regulator said it was improving the way it registers, monitors and inspects services for people with a learning disability and autistic people.