Rampton Hospital under scrutiny amid mental health care concerns after killings

The probe was ordered by the government in the wake of the killings of 19-year-old university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar and former Bulwell school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, in Nottingham last June.

Their killer, 32-year-old Valdo Calocane, had a history of mental health issues and received treatment from the psychiatric services of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, including time at Highbury Hospital in Bulwell.

He was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility after he was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. He was sentenced to indefinite detention at a high-security hospital.

The Secretary of State for Heath and Social Care commissioned the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a rapid review of the trust, including an assessment of progress at Rampton Hospital, near Retford,

Rampton is one of only three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, treating people with mental illnesses or personality disorders. But it has been rated ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ in five CQC inspections since 2019, and admissions have been restricted after ”a pattern of concerns and breaches of regulations” was identified.

This rapid review found that care at the hospital had improved since its last inspection, but concerns remained in many areas.

It found that communication between staff and patients was still poor and that issues surrounding the prescribing of medicines and the monitoring of ’ physical health meant patients were “not always kept safe”.

Staffing levels had improved but did not always meet the needs of patients on wards, meaning that “confinement was still part of the culture of a small number of staff”.

The review concluded: ”Leaders have addressed many of the previous issues and have recognised that ongoing concerns need to be scrutinised. But small pockets of poor culture remain."

The review recommended that the Secretary of State re-licenses Rampton Hospital for a period of no more than 12 months, rather than the full five-year period. This “would allow for improvements to continue and for the CQC to monitor progress closely”.

As for the trust as a whole, its CQC rating remains suspended over worries about the quality of care given to patients, “putting them and potentially members of the public at risk of harm”.

The CQC found that a high demand for services and staffing shortages were adding to the problems, and “changes were not happening quickly enough”.

Chris Dzikiti, the CQC’s director of mental health, said: “While we found some improvements, our review of the trust highlights ongoing concerns around people’s care and safety. We have set out clear recommendations for action.”

Ifti Majid, the chief executive of Notitnghamshire Healthcare, said: “We are committed to providing high-quality, effective and safe care to those people who need it most.

"This review makes difficult reading because it is clear that, sometimes, we have let down patients and their families. For this, we are truly sorry.

"We deliver care and treatment to tens of thousands of people at any one time and the vast majority of our staff provide it in a kind and compassionate way, often in challenging circumstances.

"We will ensure that every recommendation within the CQC’s review report is implemented,”