‘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.”
Birmingham band UB40 say the city’s striking bin workers and their union should “keep fighting” in their dispute over pay.
It comes as the government and the council urged them to accept a “fair and reasonable offer”.
“We’re fully on their side,” drummer Jimmy Brown told Sky News. “I think they shouldn’t give up, they should still be fighting.
“Working people shouldn’t have to take a reduction in their incomes, which is what we’re talking about here.
“We’re talking about people being paid less and it seems to me with prices going up, heating, buying food, inflation and rents going up then people need a decent wage to have a half decent life… keep going boys!”
Members of the Unite union in Birmingham earlier this month. Pic: PA
Workers joined picket lines again on Thursday, with some fearing they could be up to £600 a month worse off if they accept the terms.
“We have total utter support for the bin men and all trade unions,” said guitarist Robin Campbell.
“The other side is always going to say they’ve made a reasonable offer – the point is they’re the ones who’ve messed up, they’re the ones who’ve gone bankrupt, they’re the ones now trying to reduce the bin men’s wages.”
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Lead singer Matt Doyle told Sky News: “It’s a shame that what we’re seeing is all the images of rats and rubbish building up, that is going to happen inevitably, but we’ve just got to keep fighting through that.”
About 22,000 tonnes of rubbish accumulated on the city’s streets after a major incident was declared last month by Birmingham City Council.
Rubbish has blighted the city’s streets for weeks . Pic: PA
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Bin situation ‘pains me’ – council boss
On a visit to the city, local government minister Jim McMahon said the union and local authority should continue to meet in “good faith” and the government felt there was a deal that could be “marshalled around”.
He paid tribute to the “hundreds of workers” who have worked “around the clock” to clear the rubbish.
Read more:
Bin workers urged to accept ‘fair’ offer
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“As we stand here today, 85% of that accumulated waste has been cleared and the council have a plan in place now to make sure it doesn’t accumulate going forward,” said Mr McMahon.
Sky News understands talks are not set to resume until next week.
Trans women in British Transport Police custody will now be strip searched by male officers – not female – following Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling.
The force said it is introducing an “interim position” while it digests the Supreme Court’s decision that the definition of a “woman” under the Equality Act 2010 refers to “a biological woman and biological sex”.
A British Transport Police (BTP) Authority spokesman told Sky News: “Under previous policy, we had advised that someone with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) may be searched in accordance with their acquired sex.
“However, as an interim position while we digest today’s judgment, we have advised our officers that any same sex searches in custody are to be undertaken in accordance with the biological birth sex of the detainee.”
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In September last year, BTP, which is responsible for policing the UK’s railways and similar transport systems, published its “position” on transgender and non-binary officers carrying out strip searches.
It said officers would “only be able to search persons of the same sex on their birth or gender recognition certificate (GRC).
Officers who identified as another gender but who did not have a GRC were not allowed to, but if a trans woman had a certificate, they could strip search a female detainee.
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Gender ruling – How it happened
Strip searches involve the removal of more than a jacket, outer coat, gloves, headwear and footwear.
They “expose buttocks, genitalia and (female) breasts”, the BTP guidance says.
The Sex Matters campaign applied for a judicial review of that guidance with the High Court in December.
It said the policy “puts detainees at risk of sexual harassment and sexual assault”, and said it was a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
Sex Matters said the policy “also puts female officers in a humiliating and dangerous position, as they may be pressured to search trans-identified men”.
Read more: NHS must stop trans people being allowed on single-sex wars
Campaigners celebrated outside the Supreme Court after Wednesday’s ruling. Pic: PA
One of the High Court judges who made Wednesday’s decision, Lord Hodge, said the ruling should not be read as “a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another”.
Government minister Karin Smyth told Sky News public bodies have been told to look at how equality laws are implemented following the ruling.
She said: “Obviously, public bodies have been asked to look at their own guidance.
“And we will do that very, very carefully.”
But she warned against public bodies making statements “that may alarm people”, telling them to take their time to look at their guidance.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chair of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said the ruling means there is “no confusion” now.
She said the NHS will “have to change” its 2019 policy, which says transgender patients are entitled to be accommodated on single-sex wards matching how they identify.
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