Priory fined after death on 'utter shambles' of a ward

Francesca Whyatt was meant to be under intermittent observation when she entered the Priory Hospital Roehampton lounge unnoticed and killed herself in September 2013 Family handout)

- HOLLY EVANS

A prestigious mental health hospital has been fined £140,000 after a young woman killed herself on one of its wards, days after it was described as an "utter shambles".

Francesca Whyatt, 21, had been an inpatient at the Priory in Roehampton when she was found unconscious behind a sofa in a communal lounge in September 2013.

She was rushed to Kingston Hospital but her life support machine was turned off three days later. Over the course of her six months at the Priory, she had made at least 27 attempts at self-harm, yet her observation level was reduced just two days before her death.

This meant that rather than a healthcare assistant maintaining constant watch over her movements, she was assessed six times an hour during the daytime.

In a letter sent on 13 September, consultant psychologist and clinical lead Dr. Adrian Lord wrote to the hospital director to say that there had been a “litany of basic errors” on the ward and that he had “no confidence” in staff to maintain safety under the observation policies. He described it as an “utter shambles”.

Priory Health Limited, which has a reputation for treating celebrities such as Kate Moss and Pete Doherty, pleaded guilty to failing to discharge a duty under Section 3(1) Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive.

Describing the fine as “disappointing”, Whyatt’s brother Daniel said: “We believe with all our hearts that the Priory Roehampton was an environment not at all conducive to Francesca’s recovery, quite the contrary, in fact.