6th April 2016

Southern NHS Foundation Trust has been issued a warning by the CQC following an inspection in January.

The warming comes following the death of Connor Sparrowhawk, who died whilst in the care of Slade House, Oxford, in July 2013. An inquest found, in October 2015, that neglect had contributed to Conor's death.

The report highlighted a "failure of leadership" for the Trust's inability to carry out investigations into the unexplained deaths of hundreds of patients.

Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST, who have worked with the family of Connor Sparrowhawk and support other families who have died in mental health settings, said:

" It is shameful that the preventable death of a young man and the multiple failings uncovered did not prompt radical improvements and that the lives of vulnerable patients are still at risk. No other health trust has faced such scrutiny and their failure to act on recommendations from inquests, investigations and inspections is unacceptable and highlights an accountability gap at a corporate level. The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt must now urgently respond to this report and in particular the need for robust independent investigation of deaths in Southern Health care. Families and patients deserve nothing less."