Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has appeared in court today (Thursday) to enter a plea to the charge that it failed to provide safe care and treatment to people in its care.
The Care Quality Commission brought the prosecution following an incident at Melbury Lodge, a psychiatric unit in Winchester that cares for people who need to be admitted to hospital as a result of severe mental health problems.
At Basingstoke Magistrates' Court the trust pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to provide safe care and treatment, resulting in avoidable harm to one patient and putting others at serious risk of avoidable harm.
Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, said that since March 2010, a number of patients who had been detained under the Mental Health Act had climbed onto the roof from a courtyard area on no fewer than seven occasions, in an attempt to abscond. The trust were well aware but did nothing sufficient to prevent this until April 2016.
In March 2012, one of the patients, Mr AB climbed onto the roof from the garden, twice slipping and nearly falling before he was restrained and brought down.
Three years later, Mr AB was readmitted to Melbury Lodge after his health deteriorated. His family were so worried that he might again try to abscond that they asked the staff to keep a close eye on him.
In the early hours of the morning in December 2015 Mr AB again climbed onto the roof. Despite staff attempts to talk him down he fell to the ground and sustained serious neck injuries. He survived the fall, but with injuries which will affect the rest of his life.
Even after the accident three more patients were able to gain access to the roof in February 2016. One of them was also injured.
The judge has adjourned the case for sentence on 12 October 2017.
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