Report finds ‘systemic failure to protect people’ at hospital near Bristol
By Liz Lockhart
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its findings after an inspection of Winterbourne View near Bristol.
Winterbourne View was featured in The Panorama programme after the BBC was alerted by Terry Bryan about his concerns. Mr. Bryan, a senior nurse, contacted Panorama after his concerns were not followed up by the home’s management.
A Panorama reporter filmed residents being pinned down, slapped and taunted.
Castlebeck Care, the owners of Winterbourne View, had failed to ensure the residents living at the unit were adequately protected from risk the report found. This includes the risk of unsafe practices by its own staff.
The report also found that ‘There was a systemic failure to protect people or to investigate allegations of abuse’.
This report was highlighted on the BBC News today. The broadcast states that ‘The provider had failed in its legal duty to notify the Care Quality Commission of serious incidents including injuries to patients or occasions when they had gone missing.’
Staff did not appear to understand the needs of the people in their care, inspectors noted. ‘Some staff were too ready to use methods of restraint without considering alternatives’.
Eight men and three women have been arrested by police and remain on police bail pending further inquires. A 27-year-old man from South Gloucestershire is the latest person to be arrested in connection with this incident. Police told the BBC that he had been arrested under the Mental Capacity Act and had been released on police bail.
Winterbourne View closed down in June of this year.
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