‘Treated worse than animals’: Huntercombe investigation reveals decade of mistreatment in care of more than 20 teenagers
More than 20 former patients or their relatives have revealed how they were “treated worse than animals” and failed by the “awful” care they received at mental health hospitals for teenagers.
Testimonies gathered in an investigation by Sky News raise repeated allegations of over-restraint and inadequate staffing which youngsters say left people at increased risk of self-harm.
Patients described being left in rooms with blood on the walls, and accuse staff of failing to prevent them from hurting themselves.
The mother of one girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that patients were “treated worse than animals” with many subjected to “clear trauma, pain and suffering”.
The allegations stretch back more than a decade, impacting teenagers being treated for serious mental health issues by a single provider – The Huntercombe Group – paid for by the NHS.
Sky News has presented its findings to the Department of Health, which described the allegations as “deeply concerning”.
A patient named Danae revealed bruises from over restraint during her care
Repeated claims of over restraint
Sky News spent months tracing the group, most of who don’t know each other, in a joint investigation with The Independent.
Eighteen-year-old Alice Sweeting, who was in Huntercombe’s Maidenhead unit for 14 months until autumn last year, told us: “No one’s going to get better in that environment.
“I think it’s awful. It shouldn’t be open. I don’t know why they’re still running.”
Alice says staff failed to stop her self-harming
At least three of the former patients we spoke to revealed they have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since leaving the units – with their treatment at the hospital contributing to the diagnosis.
Amber Rehman, 18, said the time she spent in the unit made her mental health condition “much worse”.
“It hasn’t stopped. Every day, guaranteed. It’s been going through my head more than anything else,” she said.
“I just want to move on.”
Amber blames the care she received for the deterioration in her mental health condition
Reviews criticise ‘coercive’ restraint
Sky News has seen independent reviews – commissioned by The Huntercombe Group – which raise concerns into the care of three of the young people we’ve spoken to. Two of the reports describe the use of restraint as “coercive”.
We can also reveal the NHS has paid The Huntercombe Group nearly £190m since 2015 to provide adolescent mental health inpatient services, despite repeated criticisms about the standard of care patients have been receiving in its units.
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A Department of Health and Social care spokesperson said: “The allegations of mistreatment that have been raised are deeply concerning.
“We take these reports very seriously and are investigating the concerns raised and are working with NHS England and the CQC (Care Quality Commission) to ensure all mental health inpatient settings are providing the standard of care we expect.”
Former Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, who is chairing an independent review of inpatient mental health care in England, described the allegations as “barbaric” and called on the CQC to re-inspect the units “urgently” and speak to the youngsters we’ve interviewed.
Police investigate death of patient
The Huntercombe Group was taken over by Active Care Group at the end of last year. Two months after the takeover, a patient died at the group’s unit in Maidenhead, now called Taplow Manor, with Thames Valley police currently investigating.
Taplow Manor and another unit in Staffordshire remain open. Three other children’s mental health units which were part of The Huntercombe Group have closed.
Dr Sylvia Tang, who was CEO of The Huntercombe Group since June 2020 and is now CEO of Active Care Group, said: “The death of a young person at Taplow Manor in February 2022 was a tragic and sad event.
“We have already taken steps to make improvements to the service and remain committed to providing the best possible care for our patients. Our sincere condolences go out to the young person’s parents and all who have been affected.”
In response to our dossier of concerns raised by former patients, Dr Tang said: “At the time most of these incidents are alleged to have taken place, the Active Care Group, did not own the facilities at which they are purported to have happened.
“ACG acquired 12 of The Huntercombe Group services in December 2021 (including the brand), and previous owners retain all the legal entities and associated records for these facilities prior to their acquisition.
“The current group is therefore unable to comment on the services provided prior to this date.”
Active Care Group says it has “robust” processes in place.
The previous owners of The Huntercombe Group – Elli Investments Group – told Sky News: “We regret that these hospitals and specialist care services, which were owned and independently managed by The Huntercombe Group, failed to meet the expected standards for high quality care.”
An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS has repeatedly made clear that all services must provide safe, high-quality care and deliver on the commitments in their contracts.
“We continue to work closely with the CQC to monitor, identify and take appropriate action where it is needed.”
NHS England has warned the health service is facing a “worst case scenario” December with a surge of “super flu”.
The warning comes as new figures revealed the number of people in hospital with flu have increased by more than half in just one week.
Catch up as it happened: NHS warns of ‘worst-case scenario’ as ‘super flu’ surges
Latest figures show:
• An average of 2,660 patients were in hospital per day with flu last week
• This is the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% on last week
• At this point last year the number stood at 1,861 patients, while in 2023 it was just 402
Health service bosses are warning the number of flu patients in hospital has already increased sharply since the week covered by this data – with no peak in sight.
Read more: Why is flu season worse this year?
Virus outbreaks coincide with doctors’ strikes
Weekly flu numbers in England peaked at 5,408 patients last winter and reached 5,441 over the winter of 2022/23, the highest level since the pandemic.
Alongside rocketing flu, the number of norovirus patients in hospital has also risen by 35%.
The NHS is now warning winter viruses are starting to “engulf hospitals”.
Demand for A&Es and ambulance services is also soaring.
New monthly figures show A&E attendances were a record for November at 2.35 million – more than 30,000 higher than November 2024.
In addition, there were 48,814 more ambulance incidents (802,525) compared with last year (753,711).
Some hospitals across the country have asked staff, patients and visitors to wear face masks to cut the spread of flu, while others have gone in and out of critical incident status due to the high number of people attending A&E.
The record-breaking demand on the NHS coincides with a resident doctors’ strike from 17 to 22 December over pay and jobs – sparking fears of major disruption for patients in the run up to Christmas.
People are being advised to attend any planned appointments scheduled during the strikes unless they have been contacted to reschedule.
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Will doctors accept late deal to avoid strikes?
Flu vaccinations on the up… who can get one?
The NHS is urging anyone eligible to get their flu vaccination to help prevent them getting seriously ill.
Latest figures show more than 17.4 million people have been vaccinated so far this year, more than 381,000 higher than last year.
You can get it if you:
• Are 65 or over in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Are pregnant
• Live in a care home
• Are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive carer’s allowance
• Live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• Are a frontline health and social care worker
• Are of school age
• Have certain medical conditions (the NHS has a full list)
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, warned of a “tidal wave of flu tearing through our hospitals”.
“We are working with the NHS to make sure it is able to cope with this as best as possible,” he said.
Warning ‘extremely challenging few weeks ahead’
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, warned the health service faces “an extremely challenging few weeks ahead” with “staff being pushed to the limit”.
She said: “With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors’ strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.
“The numbers of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year. Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.”
She added: “We have prepared earlier for winter than ever before, and stress-tested services to ensure people have a range of ways to get the help they need and avoid needing to go to A&E.
“For non-life-threatening care, people should call NHS 111 or use 111 online, which can direct you to the most appropriate place, and use A&E and 999 for life threatening conditions and serious injuries.”
Read more from Sky News:
US accused of ‘piracy’
Flights diverted in Moscow
Mr Streeting has offered the British Medical Association (BMA) a last-minute deal in the hope doctors will call off the walkout, which starts next Wednesday.
The doctors’ union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming day, and is expected to announced a decision on Monday, just two days before the planned strike.
The offer includes a fast expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees, but does not include extra pay.
The spread of subclade K, the super flu, is picking up – and it’s not looking good for the NHS.
An average of just under 2,700 hospital beds a day in England were occupied by patients with flu last week.
There are fears that could jump to somewhere between 5,000 and 8,000 by the end of this week.
That’s on top of COVID and RSV.
And with the possibility of a five-day strike by resident (junior) doctors next week, it’s a perfect storm for hospitals.
An NHS hospital ward at Ealing Hospital in London. Pic: PA
Christmas flu
Children are the super-spreaders of flu. It races around classrooms and some schools have temporarily shut because of the impact.
The Christmas holidays aren’t far off. They are likely to put the brakes on children passing around the virus.
But it’s also a time of year when families mix with elderly relatives, who are more likely to be hit hard by the infection – perhaps even needing hospital care.
So while the holidays may temporarily slow the overall rise in infections, the impact on hospitals could get much worse.
File pic: PA
Subclade K
Flu is spreading so rapidly at the moment because immunity to subclade K from previous infections and vaccinations is low.
The virus – a variant of the H3N2 flu strain – suddenly acquired seven new mutations in late summer.
Every 100 people infected with seasonal flu would typically pass the virus on to 120 others.
With subclade K, it’s 140.
And that’s why cases are rising so quickly on the charts.
At the moment, 18 in every 100,000 patients in England are consulting their GP with flu-like symptoms. That’s still well short of the peak of around 50 in every 100,000 in 2017/18, the worst flu outbreak in recent years.
File pic: PA
The grim reality of flu
Flu is a really unpleasant disease, nothing like a cold. I’ve had it twice in my life and it physically hurt to get out of bed. It’s grim.
Most people get over it with a few days’ rest and paracetamol to take the edge off the fever.
But vulnerable people can become seriously ill. In the outbreak of 2017/18, around 22,000 died.
Read more:
Nurses ‘deeply concerned about what lies ahead’
NHS braced for ‘toughest winter’ after record-breaking month
That’s why the NHS is urging people in certain groups – the over 65s, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, carers and children – to get the jab.
The vaccine isn’t a great match for subclade K, but still reduces the chance of hospital admission by 30-40% in adults.
It’s impossible to say when the spread will peak, but the latest figures suggest the outbreak is far from over.
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