Sleeping staff, patients on the roof – life inside Gloucester’s mental health intensive care unit
When Annie got the call on a Friday afternoon in March this year, she was on her way to pick up her daughter from school.
Her son, in his early twenties, was being discharged, with immediate effect from the mental health unit Wotton Lawn in Gloucester, where he had been sectioned in the psychiatric intensive care unit.
“You are being discharged as homeless,” the staff member said, while Annie listened in.
Annie told them she was recording the call, and pleaded to keep him in, warning that this course of action would be potentially fatal for her son.
She was told he had allegedly assaulted another patient. He denied it.
But for several days leading up to this moment the hospital had warned his mother it was time for him to leave.
The young man, we will call ‘John,’ indicated that he was having suicidal thoughts. His confused response to what was happening was that he wanted “euthanasia”.
Annie warned staff she couldn’t get there to pick him up, but they pressed on with the discharge.
The staff member told John: “We are going to formally discharge you at half past four this afternoon. So, you won’t be a patient on this ward at half past four.
“And if you do refuse to leave you will be trespassing and the police will be removing you.”
After the discharge time had elapsed, Annie called her son again.
Annie’s son survived despite sustaining serious injuries
There was no reply – until eventually a member of the public answered the phone.
A woman told Annie that her son was badly injured and being treated by paramedics having thrown himself off a bridge.
“So, he’d basically been told to get out of the mental hospital and two minutes later, he’s on the tracks,” says Annie. “He just walked out of the door, jumped headfirst off a bridge.
“He smashed his skull, his face, had a brain haemorrhage, smashed his arms and legs and punctured his spleen.”
Incredibly, he survived.
That evening Wotton Lawn staff members left some of John’s belongings outside for Annie to collect.
She says no one spoke to her.
In the weeks leading up to this moment, Annie had already been talking to Sky News because she felt her son was not getting proper treatment or care at Wotton Lawn.
She said despite him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, he was frequently going missing from the hospital.
She says she was unable to see his care plan and that doctors discouraged her from communicating with them.
She claims one consultant even said he would block her emails, after she told him she wanted to put her concerns in writing.
In that period, we collected the stories of several other families and patients who had recently been in the hospital and their experiences echoed Annie’s.
Heidi Hanks said she pleaded to be readmitted to the hospital
Staff gave tablets to patient despite overdose risk
Heidi Hanks was in Wotton Lawn for a period of eight weeks in late 2022 into 2023.
Her husband John says he had no contact with the hospital while she was in their care.
He said: “I’ve never seen her care plan, never spoken to a doctor. I called the hospital to say, ‘what’s the progress, what’s going on?’
“I never got anything back over the whole time she was there.”
Heidi would go missing from the premises and was once found by a member of the public walking down train tracks.
She says when she returned, no one asked her about what had happened.
Heidi says she too was discharged too soon.
She returned the next day pleading to be readmitted because voices were telling her to take an overdose.
She says despite this, she was told to go home and handed the very tablets she had said she was going to take an overdose with.
She swallowed the pills, just outside the hospital, and her husband collected her and took her to A&E.
Photographs obtained by Sky News show staff asleep
Staff photographed asleep in their chairs
Sky News has obtained photographs of several staff members asleep in their chairs in different parts of the hospital.
These pictures have been taken by patients who say those staff members should have been alert and keeping an eye on the people in their care.
Another patient, who we will call ‘Jamie’, says he wasn’t properly watched and despite supposedly having round-the-clock care, was able to get onto the roof of the hospital and jump off it.
‘I wasn’t in a safe place’
Jamie told Sky News: “I broke both my legs, my wrists, my arm my back and my pelvis.
“I was hearing voices and I should have been in a safe place, where I can’t get out and there are no roofs I could jump off.
“But I wasn’t in a safe place at all.”
He says he was mostly looked after by inexperienced agency or ‘bank’ staff and was isolated from his family.
A Care Quality Commission report on the hospital found the psychiatric intensive care units had a 32% vacancy rate and “high rates of bank and agency staff”.
The service rated overall as ‘good’.
But they also found most relatives “had not been given information or been involved in decisions about their relative”.
All the relatives or carers who spoke to the CQC said “they had not been given the opportunity of providing feedback”.
Nicky Davis says she has been able to access the roof on numerous occasions
One patient ‘able to access hospital roof for years’
Another patient, Nicky Davis, is currently in Wotton Lawn.
She has taken photographs of herself on the roof of the hospital on numerous occasions.
She says she’s been able to access it by the same route “for years” having been in and out of the hospital over a six-year period.
Even when on the hospital’s most secure psychiatric ward for the most at-risk patients, Nicky says she was able to access the roof through a window, and on one occasion attempted suicide.
Nicky says the high use of agency staff means patients don’t form a relationship with their carers but the thing that upsets her most is sleeping staff and claims this is widespread and it’s not just at night, but more often on the afternoon into evening shift.
Nicky Davis, left, with her twin sister Laura
‘I’ve actually seen patients walk out of the hospital’
Her mother Joanna Davis, and stepfather Darren Watts, say the level of care is inadequate.
Joanna said: “I’ve seen staff asleep. I’ve seen staff when she’s been escorted to the hospital fall asleep.
“I’ve seen the chair on the door empty so that patients are able to abscond.
“I’ve actually seen patients walk out of the hospital and Nicky have to say to a member of staff, ‘that patient is not allowed leave’.”
Nicky’s twin sister Laura committed suicide after she stayed at Wotton Lawn.
An inquest at Cheshire’s Coroner’s Court completed in February 2023 found Wotton Lawn failed to pass on crucial information about Laura to another hospital, leading to a fatal mistake.
The inquest states: “The information transferred from Wotton Lawn Hospital to Arbury Court Hospital about Laura was deficient, in that it did not include anything about a recent incident.”
It goes on to describe how she had tried to commit suicide in Wotton Lawn and then used the same method successfully because staff hadn’t realised a particular object posed a risk.
‘People can abscond from the psychiatric hospital’
Joy Higgins, from the local Gloucester charity Suicide Crisis, is a former patient at Wotton Lawn.
She says she has spent months examining inquests which have shown failures at Wotton Lawn and other hospitals and the lessons are not being learned.
“I think in particular, where patients have been able to access harmful items on the ward and that’s something that we have seen at more than one inquest, tragically.
“And so that suggests very strongly that the learning has not been taken from the inquest and that it is simply repeating.
“And what we have seen in inquest after inquest is the frequency with which people can abscond from the psychiatric hospital when they are assessed as being at high risk of suicide.”
She added: “It’s a repeated issue that’s been going on not just for months, but for years, where patients are being able to simply leave.
“It’s a requirement that the exit doors are monitored to prevent patients leaving. But too often there are no staff there.
“And so, for me, it’s a management issue and ultimately a senior management issue. The leadership of the trust.”
Trust admits ‘we do not always get things right’
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Wotton lawn, said: “We are really disappointed to hear these reports and apologise to anyone who hasn’t had good experience of our care.
“Our hospital at Wotton Lawn is a therapeutic environment and, while two of the wards in the hospital are classed as secure, the majority of general hospital patients are allowed to leave the premises when appropriate and this is managed carefully on a case by case basis.
“Our colleagues work hard, often in very difficult circumstances, to support our patients to recover and be safely discharged every day, and we receive regular positive feedback.
“We know, however, that we do not always get things right.
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“While we cannot respond with specific details, context and facts due to patient confidentiality, we were already aware of the cases detailed and have reviewed them fully.
“We take the allegations of staff sleeping on duty very seriously and will investigate further once full details are shared with us.
“We are constantly reviewing our processes and procedures, and will continue to speak to patients and families about improvements they would like to see within the hospital and improve our services based on their feedback.”
But national charities such as SANE and MIND have expressed growing concerns about the state of mental health services across the UK.
Wotton Lawn seems to be another example where patients are being failed.
:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
The extent of Chinese spying carried out on UK parliamentarians has been unveiled after evidence in the collapsed China spy trial was published.
Three witness statements from the government were released late on Wednesday night amid confusion surrounding why the prosecutions fell apart.
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Former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, 30, from Whitechapel, east London, and teacher Christopher Berry, 33, from Witney, Oxfordshire, were charged with passing politically sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence agent between December 2021 and February 2023. They have both denied the allegations.
In a statement after the government published the statements, Mr Cash reiterated he was “completely innocent”.
The collapse of the trial, meaning he can’t prove it, has put him in an “impossible position”, he said.
“At no point did I intentionally assist Chinese intelligence,” he added.
What does the government’s evidence say?
In the documents, it was revealed information about internal Tory politics – when the party was in government – was being fed to a Chinese intelligence handler known as “Alex”, according to counterterrorism command SO15.
They were written by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, who has been in post the whole time.
This includes Mr Cash working as a researcher and “directly contributing to the policy advice being provided to Rishi Sunak”.
The evidence adds: “It is axiomatic that this is prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK for the Chinese state to have indirect access to one of the individuals providing policy advice to the now prime minister on China, with the potential to influence that advice.”
Mr Cash described the witness statements as “completely devoid of the context that would have been given at trial”.
‘Enemy’ status?
The prosecution of Mr Cash and Mr Berry collapsed in the past few weeks – with the director of public prosecutions saying it had not received enough evidence from the government to proceed.
This related to whether China could be considered an “enemy” under the Official Secrets Act 1911.
In the most recent document from Mr Collins, dated 4 August this year, he quotes the Labour manifesto in saying the government position, saying: “It is important for me to emphasise, however, that the UK government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability.
“The government’s position is that we will co-operate where we can; compete where we need to; and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security.”
While the statements repeatedly highlight the “threat” of China to the UK, they also speak of the importance of the trading relationship, and do not use the word “enemy”.
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What does China spy row involve?
The publication of the documents comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed he would do so in parliament at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
The prime minister had previously said the government would not publish the evidence as it would not have been allowed by the CPS – before the CPS then denied this was the case.
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Speaking at PMQs, Sir Keir said: “Last night, the Crown Prosecution Service clarified that, in their view, the decision whether to publish the witness statements of the DNSA [deputy national security adviser] is for the government.
“I have therefore carefully considered this question this morning, and after legal advice, I have decided to publish the witness statement.”
Opponents of the government have accused it of deliberately collapsing the trial – something Downing Street has denied.
Stephen Parkinson, the head of the CPS, said in a statement the prosecution was dropped after attempts to get more evidence from the government “over many months” proved unfruitful.
Rachel Reeves faces the prospect of another “groundhog day” unless next month’s budget goes further than plugging an estimated £22bn black hole in the public finances, according to a respected thinktank.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said there was a “strong case” for the chancellor to substantially increase the £10bn headroom she has previously given herself against her own debt rules, or risk further repeats of needing to restore the buffer in the years ahead.
It said Ms Reeves could bring the cost of servicing government debt down through ending constant chatter over the limited breathing space she has previously given herself, in uncertain times for the global economy.
The chancellor herself used an interview with Sky News this week to admit tax rises were being considered, and appeared to concede she was trapped in a “doom loom” of annual increases.
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Tax hikes possible, Reeves tells Sky News
What is the chancellor facing?
Speculation over the likely contents of the budget has been rife for months and intensified after U-turns by the government on planned welfare reforms and on winter fuel payments.
The Office for Budget Responsibility’s determination on the size of the black hole facing Ms Reeves could come in well above or below the IFS estimate of £22bn, which includes the restoration of the £10bn headroom but not the cost of any possible policy announcements such as the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap.
Economists broadly agree tax rises are inevitable, as borrowing more would be prohibitive given the bond market’s concerns about the UK’s fiscal position.
Long-term borrowing costs have recently stood at levels not seen since the last century.
What are her tax options?
While there has been talk of new levies on bank profits and the wealthy, to name but a few rumours, the IFS analysis suggests the best way to raise the bulk of sufficient funds is by hiking income tax, rather than making the tax system even more complicated.
Earlier this week, it suggested reforms, such as to property taxes, could raise tens of billions of pounds.
But any move on income tax would mean breaking Labour’s manifesto pledge not to target the three main sources of revenue from income, employee national insurance contributions and VAT.
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Is Labour plotting a ‘wealth tax’?
She is particularly unlikely to raise VAT, as it would risk fanning the flames of inflation, already expected by the International Monetary Fund to run at the highest rate across the G7 this year and next.
Business argues it should be spared.
The chancellor’s first budget, which raised taxes by £40bn, has been blamed by the sector for raising costs in the economy since April via higher minimum pay and employer national insurance contributions.
They say the measures have dragged on employment, investment, and growth.
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The big issues facing the UK economy
‘A situation of her own making’
Analysis by Barclays, revealed within the IFS’s Green Budget, suggested inflation was on course to return to target by the middle of next year but that the UK’s jobless rate could top 5% from its current 4.8% level.
Ms Reeves, who has blamed the challenges she faces on past austerity, Brexit and a continuing drag from the mini-budget of the Liz Truss government in 2022, was urged by the IFS to not harm growth through budget measures.
IFS director Helen Miller said: “Last autumn, the chancellor confidently pronounced she wouldn’t be coming back with more tax rises; she almost certainly will.
“For Rachel Reeves, the budget will feel like groundhog day. This is, to a large extent, a situation of her own making.
“When choosing to operate her fiscal rules with such teeny tiny headroom, Ms Reeves would have known that run-of-the-mill forecast changes could easily blow her off course.”
Ms Miller said there was a “strong case for the chancellor to build more headroom against her fiscal rules”, adding: “Persistent uncertainty is damaging to the economic outlook.”
‘No return to austerity’
A Treasury spokesperson responded: “We won’t comment on speculation. The chancellor’s non-negotiable fiscal rules provide the stability needed to help to keep interest rates low while also prioritising investment to support long-term growth.
“We were the fastest-growing economy in the G7 in the first half of the year, but for too many people our economy feels stuck. They are working day in, day out without getting ahead.
“That needs to change, and that is why the chancellor will continue to relentlessly cut red tape, reform outdated planning rules, and invest in public infrastructure to boost growth – not return to austerity or decline.”
The budget is scheduled for 26 November.
The Government has vowed to pursue a company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone for millions of pounds paid for defective PPE at the height of the COVID pandemic after a High Court deadline passed without repayment.
Earlier this month, the High Court ruled that PPE Medpro, a company founded by Baroness Mone’s husband Doug Barrowman and promoted in government by the Tory peer, was in breach of contract and gave it two weeks to repay the £122m plus interest of £23m.
In a statement, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “At a time of national crisis, PPE Medpro sold the previous government substandard kit and pocketed taxpayers’ hard-earned cash.
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“PPE Medpro has failed to meet the deadline to pay – they still owe us over £145m, with interest now accruing daily.”
It is understood that is being charged at a rate of 8%.
“We will pursue PPE Medpro with everything we’ve got to get these funds back where they belong – in our NHS,” Mr Streeting concluded.
Earlier a spokesman for Mr Barrowman and the consortium behind the company said the government had not responded to an offer from PPE Medpro to discuss a settlement.
“Very disappointingly, the government has made no effort to respond or seek to enter into discussions,” he said.
During the trial PPE Medpro offered to pay £23m to settle the case but was rejected by the Department of Health and Social Care.
While Mr Barrowman has described himself as the “ultimate beneficial owner” of PPE Medpro, and says £29m of profit from the deal was paid into a trust benefitting his family including Baroness Mone and her children, he was never a director and the couple are not personally liable for the money.
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£122m bill that may never be paid
PPE Medpro filed for insolvency the day before Mrs Justice Cockerill’s finding of breach of contract was published, and the company’s most recent accounts show assets of just £666,000.
Court-appointed administrators will now be responsible for recovering as much money as possible on behalf of creditors, principally the DHSC.
With PPE Medpro in administration and potentially limited avenues to recover funds, there is a risk that the government may recover nothing while incurring further legal expenses.
In June 2020, PPE Medpro won contracts worth a total of £203m to provide 210m masks and 25m surgical gowns after Baroness Mone contacted ministers including Michael Gove on the company’s behalf.
While the £81m mask contract was fulfilled the gowns were rejected for failing sterility standards, and in 2022 the DHSC sued. Earlier this month Mrs Justice Cockerill ruled that PPE Medpro was in breach of contract and liable to repay the full amount.
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Baroness Mone ‘should resign’
Mr Barrowman has previously named several other companies as part of the gown supply including two registered in the UK, and last week his spokesman said there was a “strong case” for the administrator to pursue them for the money.
One of the companies named has denied any connection to PPE Medpro and two others have not responded to requests for comment.
Insolvency experts say that administrators and creditors, in this case the government, may have some recourse to pursue individuals and entities beyond the liable company, but any process is likely to be lengthy and expensive.
Julie Palmer, a partner at Begbies Traynor, told Sky News: “The administrators will want to look at what’s happened to what look like significant profits made on these contracts.
“If I was looking at this I would want to establish the exact timeline, at what point were the profits taken out.
“They may also want to consider whether there is a claim for wrongful trading, because that effectively pierces the corporate veil of protection of a limited company, and can allow proceedings against company officers personally.
“The net of a director can also be expanded to shadow directors, people sitting in the background quite clearly with a degree of control of the management of the company, in which case some claims may rest against them.”
A spokesman for Forvis Mazars, one of the joint administrators of PPE Medpro, did not comment other than to confirm the firm’s appointment.
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