Who protects the vulnerable voiceless, like Bill, and Kristian, paying £6,000 (£4,500 tax free) per week, for their enforced ‘treatment’?
How many of them have died in St Andrews?
A freedom of information request, revealed, the CQC, apparently, indicating, they were not prepared, to investigate the deaths at St Andrews,
“CQC was aware of the service’s own reviews, following the deaths and, following a meeting with the provider in 2011, we wrote asking for information about their clinical governance and assurance processes with regard to how natural-cause deaths are identified and investigated.”
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/jul/07/call-inquiry-deaths-psychiatric-hospital
But how can they be ‘natural deaths’?
A ‘natural death’ is defined as
‘death due to a disease running its full course with no other intervening factors’.
But nobody, dying in St Andrews, appeared, to be suffering from any disease, as far as could be gleaned, from the hospital’s ‘routine’, if not refused, health check.
And if they were, why was their disease not treated, for the providers £4,500 per week payment ?
I was unable to find Care Quality Commission Reports for St Andrews for 2010/11.
But four years later, a CQC report stated it still
‘requires improvement’, https://www.google.co.uk/#q=st+andrews+health+care+care+quality+commission
Yet, St Andrews own website, appears to boast it is ‘outstanding’.
http://www.standrewshealthcare.co.uk/our-services
And, why is St Andrews, still the only alternative, particularly for young autistic/ learning disabled/ behavioural problems ?
And, as beds in public ATUs, are all to be phased out, on the much publicised excuse, of the abuse in Winterbourne View, (which was a private institution), together with huge political clout, St Andrews, along with Cygnet and a few others, all private, will be the only places mental patients can be sent.
And, its newly opened, 120 bed adolescent unit, was found, by the CQC, to be so understaffed, patients were forced to restrain each other.
How can this be ‘treatment’ and, how can it justify £6,000 per week, per patient, when tax free element factored in.
So, we have a provider, being paid a fortune, for what, the scant, government controlled oversight of the CQC has, in its light touch inspections, revealed ‘inadequate’.
No accountability for services, and use of huge sums of public money, and no measure of outcomes for the service users.
The perfect business model.
As 3% of St Andrew’s patients, were residents of Northamptonshire.
The Local Healthwatch Northamptonshire, had a statutory right/duty, to go into this publically funded, privately run local health service, to assess the care provided, from the perspective of patients, and service users.
They visited St Andrews, and reported in 2014.
http://www.healthwatchnorthamptonshire.co.uk/sites/default/files/st_andrews_summary_dec_2014_ms.pdf
| ‘that the mix of staff means there are a high proportion of relatively inexperienced and unqualified staff meaning that patients are not always receiving the clinical expertise and knowledge’.
‘ staffing levels, ( 2 registered nurses per ward), are putting patient safety at risk. Patients who talked about low staffing levels said this has a knock on effect on the quality of care including the ability to increase their level of relative freedom, for example being able to go out in the grounds.’ |
The Healthwatch, had particular concerns, about the physical healthcare of patients, finding 38% of physical complaints were upheld.
But then, surprisingly, in view of these findings, Healthwatch concludes,
‘its expectation is that, as commissioners of the service, NHS England, is robustly holding SAH to account for the quality of all aspects of service provision, including physical healthcare’.
But it clearly isn’t holding SAH to account.
But, they do recommend, that SAH reviews, the 7, unexpected deaths during 2013/14, to establish whether there were any actions, that could have been taken, to prevent them.
One, would surely have thought, reviews, would automatically result from a patient’s death, as a basic safety issue in respect to future treatment, and not need, an external body to recommend them.
Remember, these patients are only mentally ill, not physically, so why are they dying in such numbers ?
This surely says a lot about the lack of their care, and actual treatment ?
Keeping mentally disordered patients alive, surely should be the most basic requirement of care costing £6,000 per week.
And, if patients die, then the service provider should be held liable, particularly, if the patients care costs so much, and they are not physically ill.
Why is the NHS paying that amount. How could it be justified ?
It is unknown, why the report in para 6, states 7 deaths in 13/14.
‘6. We recommend that SAH reviews the 7 unexpected deaths during 2013/14 to establish whether there were any actions that could have been taken by SAH to prevent the unexpected deaths. We further recommend that SAH commissions an independent review into the 7 unexpected deaths’.
When the only deaths revealed publically, that I could find, were the 5, in 2010/11.
Have additional deaths, occurred under the radar, after the 5 in 2010/11?
The Healthwatch, wrote to NHS England, requesting a published independent review. http://www.healthwatch.co.uk/sites/healthwatch.co.uk/files/letter_nhs_england_to_healthwatch_england_august_2014.pdf
But, how could this review, be independent, if commissioned, by NHS England, who themselves commissioned 90% of St Andrews service?
This means they are investigating into their own chosen services.
If failings were to be revealed, NHS England as the commissioner ,would be liable for them.
The Healthwatch, further recommends a lay summary of the review be published.
As they want,
‘to be assured that SAH has a culture of continuous review and learning from unexpected deaths’.
How about being accountable, for them ?
They recommend, that SAH invite the charity Rethink, to talk to the senior management team and the Board about Rethink’s 2013 report “Lethal Discrimination”, which calls for action to tackle ‘premature mortality’ in secure mental health settings.
The latest guidance for investigation by coroners, into deaths of those subject to a DOL under MCA
see link http://www.no5.com/news-and-publications/publications/351-inquests-and-deprivation-of-liberty/
Gil Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer, St Andrew’s Healthcare, commented,
‘our charitable status means that any money we make is used to grow and improve our services for the benefit of our patients’.
But says nothing, of the executives’ huge salaries, as revealed in St Andrews Financial Report to the Charity Commission for 2013/14.
So how many more deaths per se let alone ‘unexpected’ deaths, in healthy people in a mental, not physical hospital,have there been in St Andrews since those in 2014 ?
And where were they revealed ?
And, why was there so much publicity, about the deaths in SLOVEN public provision and none about the deaths in private St Andrews provision
And worse still, this publicity, used to move all mental patients to St Andrews, or, other private provision, as a matter of NHS policy ?
Surely, patient safety, should be paramount not private profit.
finolamoss 
Doesn’t surprise me, these professionals are already aiming to eradicate Down Syndrome, from the cradle to the grave, they are a law unto themselves.
Nothing more than murder!!
But, meanwhile, make sure they earn billions for their ‘care’.
Thank you for your comment.
best wishes,
Finola
[…] Deaths, in such private private provision, do not appear to be subject to independent scrutiny, and their in no duty to investigate such deaths.https://finolamoss.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/how-many-deaths-in-st-andrews-northampton-who-is-account… […]
As a parent of a child in St Andrews, coming across such articles are very useful but also had to my shocks and fears. We have a NHS england review next week and I was really hoping this would be our first step to change however after reading this I’m thinking I need to contact my local MP first and not as as second option. The hospital are doing everything they can to make my Son’s family a ‘thing from the past’ They want total ownership of him and do what they can to keep us out of his care. We are at our wits end and he’s been there for over a year. Any help, guidance or doors to knock on would be greatly received.
I WISH, I could give help, guide and knock on every door.
But cannot.
All I can do is expose the horror of you, and your child’s situation, and that of now, probably, over a million such families.
We are powerless, as, are our children.
We only know, from the deaths of the vulnerable in state care, that it is most definitely, not in their ‘best interests’.
And that we are the only people or care about and can police our child’s welfare, but are not allowed.
Which is the horror, we live with every moment of our day.
The answer proposed by the state, is to remove, all the vulnerable, like your son, from long stay NHS public run hospitals, which would not include St Andrews, despite 98% of its income, being from the NHS.
If your son is under MHA section, because you have given consent, then withdraw it, and make them show why he is being detained, and fulfil the provisions of the Act ie either danger to himself or others.
The problem is, that mental health services, are now being run on a profit basis, even though St Andrews is ‘recycled’.
The experts/carers, are paid on this basis, so, there is a conflict of interest, between their professional ethics, and, their employment status.
And, the only check is the NHS, who commissioned the service, who are liable if inadequate, and, are enacting government policy.
Worse still, if you manage, and I sincerely hope you do, to get your son out of St Andrews, then the only alternative likely, and proposed by government, appears worse, as this involves, him being moved to venture capital monopoly residential care provision and hospital treatment, both owned privately, usually by the same company, and you will still have no say in his care and treatment.
Worse is, once your son hits 18, if he has not already, this private care, will be for life, under the Mental Capacity Act, in secret, as usually, it appears, easy for any mentally disordered person to be rendered,’incapable’ of choosing their place of abode, treatment, or even who they see.
The real horror is that the law ie MCA affords parents, and the incapacitated vulnerable, no rights for life.
Whilst at least the MHA has safeguards, and is although now subverted, determinable as ‘treatment’.
I wish you all the best, and scream at this desperate situation, which allows so much dangerous, unchecked power over individuals in breach of their human rights and UN directive.
Best Wishes,
Finola
Ive just seen this article and not sure whether or not you are still picking up responses but id really appreciate contact with you. My son is at St Andrews and your comment about the hospital doing everything they can to make your family “a thing of the past” rings true to us too. Can we chat and get our heads together? gabyg@live.co.uk
Don’t know which post this comment is on but you can email me on finolamoss@gmail.com It appears you want to chat to a commentator who may get back to you if they see your comment I do not have their email, so if they do not see comment and/or get back to you, there is little I can do to locate them. But please email me anyway obviously all is in strictest confidence. Reading such things, you must be very concerned ,so need this sorted. Hope it can be,
ST ANDREWS DOCTORS CAN BE TRUSTED THEIR ARE VERY EVIL AND WICKED ….THE NEGLECTS OF THE PATIENTS LEAD TO MANY DEATHS OVER THE YEARS TIME TO TIME AGAIN …..THE CORRUPTION OF THE DOCTORS THE CORRUPTION OF THE DEPARTMENT THE NHS CORRUPTION THE GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION INTO MENTAL HEALTH AND CARE FARAWAY BURITALITY THE DOCTORS THAT IS LACK OF TRUSTED MENTAL HOSPITAL BECOME PLAY GROUND FOR PAEDOPHILIA
Oh my God thank you so much for questioning this. I was an Irish adolescent over there for two years and the abuse and negligence was so shocking.
Contacted so many people to try change this or report this but nobody seems to want to thread on the water that nobody crosses. If any way you get anywhere with this please contact me, because there were so neglected incidents of misconduct and medical negligence and ignorance without even validation for such disgusting ongoings. St Andrews needs to be closed without a doubt and the abuse people here isn’t even worth a fraction of what really goes on.