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The Latest Breaking News from Huntercombe

Force-fed and drugged into a ‘comatose’ state: ‘Horrifying’ allegations against children’s hospitals

EXCLUSIVE: Three years after The Independent first published a damning investigation into Huntercombe Group hospitals, new court documents reveal fresh claims that children were subject to inhumane, degrading and abusive treatment in ‘prison-like’ units – as families take legal action against 35 doctors. Rebecca Thomas reports

The Independent UK

Failings in mental health care demand quicker and more decisive action

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: Mental health services must not be allowed to shut themselves off from patients’ families. It is too late to secure justice for young people like Ruth Szymankiewicz, but it can never be too late to learn lessons from hospital failures

The Independent UK

Hospital worker tears up as she recalls death of girl, 14, left alone on ward

Ruth Szymankiewicz died after she was left unsupervised at a children’s mental health hospital by an inexperienced agency worker.

Evening Standard

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Hospital ward ‘missing half its staff’ on day suicidal girl left unsupervised

Ellesha Brannigan told an inquest that her team at Huntercombe Hospital had to bring in staff from another ward so staff could take breaks.

Evening Standard

Worker at Berkshire psychiatric hospital where girl died had no experience, inquest hears

Man, who had a false identity and had never worked in a hospital before, left Ruth Szymankiewicz, 14, unwatched despite her vulnerability

The Guardian - UK

Care worker who left suicidal teenager alone had fake ID and fled UK after she died, inquest told

Ruth Szymankiewicz, 14, died after she was left alone at Huntercombe Hospital despite requiring constant one-to-one observation

The Independent UK

Whistleblowers claim children ‘seriously harmed’ at scandal-hit mental health hospitals

Special report: In an expose of private children’s hospitals, workers say inadequate staffing put patients in harm’s way. Rebecca Thomas reports

The Independent UK

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‘My time in a children’s mental health hospital left me with PTSD’

The Independent has spoken to 22 young women who allege awful treatment in private mental health hospital units across a decade from 2012 to 2022. Here some of them recount their experiences

The Independent UK

Pinned down, force-fed and drugged into ‘zombie-like’ state: ‘Systemic abuse’ at children’s hospitals revealed

Investigation: Private mental health group was paid £190m by NHS despite hundreds of warnings over care, reports Rebecca Thomas

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the Care Quality Commission

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