Winterbourne View hospital is to close

The private 24-bed hospital in Hambrook was the subject of a national outcry on May 31 when Panorama aired undercover footage of staff allegedly torturing vulnerable adult patients. The programme appeared to show care staff pinning patients down with chairs, dousing them with water, slapping them in the face and leaving one woman outside on a concrete pavement.

This week, after several calls for the closure of the hospital, Winterborne View's owners Castlebeck announced the facility would close on June 24.

A spokesman said: "The hospital will effectively close this Friday when the last patients are transferred to alternative services.

"Castlebeck has been working closely with families and carers, commissioners and other professionals from the NHS and social services to ensure patients are safely transferred with minimum disruption to their lives."

After the programme aired, Castlebeck apologised unreservedly and launched an internal investigation. It admitted the company’s whistleblowing policy had not been followed as concerns raised by former senior nurse Terry Bryan had not been conveyed to chief executive Lee Reed or the executive management team.

Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti met with Mr Reed on Monday to press for the closure of Winterbourne View.

He said: "Mr Reed gave me his assurances that the closure of the hospital will be conducted in as sensitive a way as possible.

"I stand by my call for the hospital's closure and I am pleased that Castlebeck have come to the same conclusion. Given the horrific events which have taken place at Winterbourne View I believe its future running is untenable."

The Care Quality Commission is also investigating why it did not respond to Mr Bryan’s concerns.

South Gloucestershire Council has also announced a serious case review will start in July but the authority has been criticised for failing to speak out in the weeks after the Panorama programme aired.

Thornbury and Yate MP Steve Webb said: "The situation at Winterbourne View should never have been allowed to continue for as long as it did, which was aided by the CQC’s failure to act on the information it received.

"It is also disappointing that South Gloucestershire Council refused to speak publicly about these terrible events until after I wrote to the chief executive to complain about their silence. Whilst there are always legal limits on what can be said, the council does have an overarching responsibility for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults in this area, and local people had a right to know its response to what had happened."

Thirteen members of staff have been suspended by Castlebeck, including two members of senior management.

Eleven people have been arrested on suspicion of abuse and mistreatment. All eight men and three women have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.