Closed: Hospital we exposed for treating patients ‘like animals’

Exclusive: Whistleblowers treated at Berkshire mental health hospital shed ‘tears of joy’ over its immediate closure - after The Independent revealed scandal of systemic abuse

A hospital at the heart of “systemic abuse” allegations uncovered by The Independent is to close permanently.

Private mental health hospital owner Active Care Group has scrapped plans to reopen scandal-hit Taplow Manor – with immediate effect.

Staff at the Maidenhead site in Berkshire were told about the closure by email, and former patients who set up a campaign group lobbying against the hospital “shed tears of joy” at the news.

The closure follows months of mounting pressure on the company, after The Independent published a series of investigations revealing allegations of widespread abuse made by more than 50 patients, and multiple claims from whistleblowers that staffing levels were so low that patients had been seriously harmed.

Following The Independent’s reports, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) launched a national investigation into the safety of all mental health inpatient services in England.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, the shadow mental health minister, said: “Patients have been failed and families are still seeking answers after the awful allegations of abuse at Taplow Manor.

“The government continues to drag its feet on stamping out abuse in mental health settings. Patients, and their families, must be included in the national investigation into inpatient services.”

Responding to news of the closure, the DHSC said that mental health patients deserve high-quality care and it would expect the NHS to take this into account when using any hospital services.

The Independent’s investigations, in partnership with Sky News, uncovered claims that patients were “treated like animals”, overmedicated, and injured during restraint at hospitals formerly owned by the Huntercombe Group and now owned by Active Care Group.

Taplow Manor is facing a police investigation and criminal prosecution by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after the death of a 14-year-old girl, and another police inquiry into the alleged rape of a child involving two staff members.

Active Care Group closed the children’s service at Taplow Manor in March this year, but within two months were advertising the facility as being open for adults.

The company has now U-turned on the reopening after a “lack of admissions” made the service “financially unviable”, an email to staff said. The email, which was sent this week and has been seen by The Independent, said Taplow Manor would be closing “in its entirety with immediate effect”. It is understood that there are no plans for the site to reopen.

It comes after Active Care Group’s former chief executive Sylvia Tang stood down from her role in June and was replaced by Keith Browner.

A campaign group of more than 100 former Huntercombe Group patients and family members, called First Do No Harm, said: “It comes as a huge relief that Taplow Manor is finally to close its doors for the last time, and we are so grateful to all those who have supported our campaign to date.

“The possibility of being readmitted to the source of our trauma as adult patients felt a very real threat amongst us, such that the mere knowledge of its ongoing provision generated great distress.

“There will be many tears of joy shed on receipt of this news, but mingled with sadness for the pain and loss we have experienced, which will continue to impact us all in our daily lives for years to come. We now need to ensure that we continue to work towards justice and support for those who need it.”

The Independent’s investigations have led to 30 new clinical negligence claims by former patients, represented by law firm Hutcheon Law, against the Huntercombe Group hospitals.

Now that Taplow Manor has closed, Active Care Group’s only remaining children’s mental health hospital will be Ivetsey Bank in Stafford. This unit has also been subject to allegations of “systemic abuse” along with a police investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a young female patient. It was rated inadequate by the CQC.

Although NHS leaders in Maidenhead stopped sending children to Taplow Manor, NHS commissioners in Birmingham continue to use Ivetsey Bank.

Natalie Grayson, national officer for the union GMB, which represents staff at Taplow, said: “Taplow Manor is a perfect example of how the current care system is failing.

“At Active Care, the systematic abuse of patients and callous treatment towards [its] migrant workforce have been allowed to go unchecked.”

Lara Johnson, a GMB union representative who worked with current staff, said: “GMB are proud to support staff who have been denied the chance to turn around the damage done by the failure to adequately resource or staff Taplow Manor since Montreux Capital Management financed the merger of Active Care Group with the Huntercombe Group.”

A spokesperson for Active Care Group said: “Active Care Group has taken the difficult decision to close its Taplow Manor Hospital due to a change in strategic direction.

“We wish to thank our dedicated staff for the care and support they have provided to patients at Taplow Manor over the years. Active Care Group has now entered a period of consultation with staff, and will take every step to ensure that those impacted are retained within the business where possible.”

They added that the company has worked to assist in the safe transfer or discharge of all Taplow Manor patients.