Coronavirus delays Southern Health investigation into deaths of four patients

NHS bosses have confirmed that the next phase of an independent report into Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has been pushed back.

The news comes after earlier this year an independent report by Nigel Pascoe QC looked into the deaths of four patients between 2012 and 2015, including Robert Small from Fareham and Edward Hartley from Wickham.

In his report Mr Pascoe said there had been ‘significant, serious and deeply regrettable failures’ but there are also indications of a ‘greater willingness throughout the trust to listen and learn from the catastrophic mistakes that were made’.

He recommended a limited public investigation to review the action taken by Southern Health and see if the concerns raised have been addressed.

But NHS England and NHS Improvement have now confirmed that given the coronavirus outbreak the next stage of Mr Pascoe’s report has been delayed and the families involved have been informed.

A spokesman for both NHS England and NHS Improvement told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the next phase of the report would have involved meetings with people and it is not possible to meet them given the current situation.

The spokesman also said that no specific date or time has been set yet.

In January this year the Care and Quality Commission judged Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust as ‘good’.

But at a meeting in March of the health and adult social care select committee at Hampshire County Council, members were urged were asked to not only consider the CQC report but also to look at the independent report by Mr Pascoe.

In his deputation at the meeting Geoff Hill, from the Forum for Justice, Accountability and Equality at Southern Health, said: ‘It is deeply concerning that members are asked to note only the CQC report’s findings and the improved rating of good.

‘Yet members are not asked to note the findings of a truly independent report by an eminent QC. How can members take the CQC report seriously when, simultaneously, an eminent QC recommends a public inquiry into the trust’s current conduct?’

Members asked for a meeting to be arranged with Southern Health interim chief executive in September as current chief executive Nick Broughton was due to leave the trust in May.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS foundation trust which provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Hampshire. It is one of the largest providers of such services in England.