Underfire private mental hospital to close

It comes weeks after an inquest heard a woman had reached 26 stone after being isolated in a padded room for seven years.

Mental health charities called for an independent inquiry into the death of 25-year-old Stephanie Bincliffe, from Nottingham, following the hearing, saying it was “shocking” people with a learning disability were living long-term in assessment and treatment units, adding: “That they are dying in them is beyond belief.”

In 2011 the 97-bed hospital hit the headlines after three patients ended up in hospital after breaking into a drug store. They took so many pills that they collapsed unconscious and needed intensive care at Hull Royal Infirmary.

The hopsital’s owners said alternative care provision was being sought for patients and they were consulting staff.

In a statement The Huntercombe Group said the reason to close was not “a reflection on the quality of care provided at East Yorkshire,” but primarily because more people with learning disabilities were being treated in the community.

It added: “The hospital is operating at well below its capacity and our analysis of the longer term demand indicates this would be likely to continue. For similar reasons, The Huntercombe Group has also recently announced the proposed closures of other learning disability services.”