A private mental health provider, Cygnet Health Care, has been fined £1.53 million after failing to protect the safety of an inpatient at its Ealing hospital in London. The fine follows a guilty plea to charges brought by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and relates to the tragic death of a young woman who took her own life in July 2019.
This case represents a landmark moment in mental health regulation. Notably, it is the largest fine ever imposed on a mental health provider as a result of CQC legal action.
The CQC brought the case after identifying serious and repeated failings at Cygnet Hospital Ealing. In particular, the provider failed to ensure a safe ward environment and did not adequately protect the patient from known risks.
Cygnet Health Care admitted that it:
Crucially, the hospital knew the patient had previously attempted suicide in a similar manner. Despite this, staff did not take sufficient steps to address the environmental risks she faced.
This £1.53 million penalty marks the largest fine issued by the CQC against a mental health service. It follows a £1.5 million fine imposed in 2021 on Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, where failures in care contributed to 11 deaths.
Cygnet Health Care is owned by the US-based Universal Health Services. The case has renewed scrutiny of private mental health providers, particularly given that the NHS spends around £2 billion each year on private mental health services.
In 2022, an investigation by The Guardian revealed serious shortcomings in the care of at least 11 inpatients across Cygnet facilities since 2012. Similar issues were also identified at other private mental health hospitals, raising ongoing concerns about patient safety and accountability.
Following its investigation, the CQC stated that had Cygnet Health Care complied with its statutory duties, the patient would not have been exposed to such a high level of risk.
Jane Ray, Deputy Director of Operations for the CQC in London, described the case as deeply disappointing. She stressed that people receiving mental health care, especially during vulnerable periods, should expect safe, compassionate, and competent treatment.
While she welcomed Cygnet Health Care’s guilty plea, she also criticised the provider for failing to learn from previous incidents that could have prevented this tragic death.
During sentencing, the judge clarified that the case was not about profit being placed over safety, but rather about serious and systemic failures in patient care.
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