Staff suspended at Wotton Lawn after safeguarding investigation as acute ward closes

BBC One West reported that a number of staff have been suspended at Wotton Lawn Mental Health Hospital in Gloucester following a safeguarding investigation. The channel said the suspensions had affected staffing levels and led to the closure of an acute ward.

According to the same BBC One West report, no details of the investigation's findings have been released. Patients, staff and families spoke to its Gloucestershire reporter Steve Knibbs about their safety concerns.

Linda, whose real name was not used and whose words were read by a colleague, told the BBC One West report that she did not feel safe at the hospital. She said some staff did not seem to care, that dangerous items such as razor blades could be taken onto the wards, and that staff were not always checking on her as they should. She also said there were often too many agency staff who did not get to know patients, which affected consistency of care. BBC One West reported that she had seen staff asleep on duty even when they should have been monitoring who entered and left the hospital, something the channel had reported before. She said staff sometimes restrained patients rather than trying to de-escalate tense situations, but that many good staff were overworked and in high demand.

Staff who spoke anonymously to BBC One West blamed some senior management, saying they shifted the spotlight onto others and that colleagues were being thrown under the bus. The channel quoted a staff member as saying: 'we are not looking after patients families or staff we cause harm and this means there's no guarantee the hospital is a safe place.'

Paul, whose name and voice were changed, told BBC One West that a vulnerable relative had been at Wotton Lawn within the last year and had tried several times to end their life. He said the relative was made worse at the hospital and became institutionalised, and that his concerns were not addressed. He criticised the lack of support and therapy and said he feared for staff and patients because leadership was not listening.

In response, the trust told BBC One West that it listened carefully to feedback from patients and carers and thoroughly investigated complaints and concerns in order to learn and improve. It said it was currently improving services at Wotton Lawn, including a temporary reduction in bed capacity during the summer to focus on staffing levels, colleague development and environmental improvements. The trust said these improvements would rebuild trust and confidence in the quality of care.