A Statement by APPA

BBC Panorama recently aired a documentary about Whorlton Hall, a specialist hospital for the treatment of vulnerable adults. The torture that the staff inflicted on these patients angered and sickened us.

The Care Quality Commission failed in it duty to protect the vulnerable patients it is responsible for through failing to adequately inspect Whorlton Hall. They should be sanctioned for their failure. They have let histroy repeat itself since the incident at Winterbourne View, near Bristol.

Cygnet Health ran Whorlton Hall. Cygnet health was responsible for not training their staff and for allowing this culture to infect this place. A whole hospital does not rot like this unless the rot comes down from above. They responded with suspending the staff members, even though they have videotaped evidence of gross misconduct that requires instant dismissal.

In the aftermath of the Winterbourne View scandal the “care” staff took the blame. Sentences of all those found guilty are detailed below:

• Wayne Rogers, 32, of Kingswood, jailed for two years after admitting nine charges of ill-treatment.
• Alison Dove, 25, of Kingswood, was jailed for 20 months for seven counts of abuse;
• Graham Doyle, 26, of Patchway, was jailed for 20 months for seven counts of abuse;
• Nurse Sookalingum Appoo, 59, of Downend jailed for six months for wilfully neglecting patients;
• Nurse Kelvin Fore, 33, from Middlesbrough, also jailed for six months for wilfully neglecting patients;
• Holly Laura Draper, 24, of Mangotsfield, pleaded guilty to two charges of abuse and was jailed for 12 months;
• Daniel Brake, 27, of Downend, pleaded guilty to two charges of abuse and was given a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work;
• Charlotte Justine Cotterell, 22, from Yate, pleaded guilty to one charge of abuse and was given a four-month jail term suspended for two years. Cotterell was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and complete 12 months supervision;
• Michael Ezenagu, 29, from Shepherds Bush, west London, admitted two counts of abuse and was given a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work;
• Neil Ferguson, 28, of Emerson Green, admitted one count of abuse and was given a six-month jail term was suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work;
• Jason Gardiner, 43, of Hartcliffe, who admitted two charges of abuse, was given a four-month jail term was suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work

When this comes to court we want to see Managers and Directors of Cygnet Healthcare on the list of those sentenced.