Priory Healthcare has been fined £650,000 for failing to provide safe care and treatment following the death of a 23-year-old patient, Matthew Caseby, who escaped from a Birmingham hospital and was hit by a train. The court’s decision underlines the importance of rigorous patient safety measures in mental health facilities.
Priory Healthcare, a leading mental health services provider in the UK, has been fined £650,000 following the tragic death of Matthew Caseby, a 23-year-old patient who died after being hit by a train. The unfortunate incident occurred in September 2020 after Caseby managed to escape from a Birmingham hospital by climbing over a courtyard fence while he was supposed to be under observation.
The court found that Priory Healthcare had breached the 2008 Health and Social Care Act by failing to provide safe care and treatment, exposing Caseby and other patients to significant risk of harm. This breach led to Caseby’s ability to leave the hospital premises unattended and ultimately to his death.
The investigation into the incident was conducted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which revealed the lapses in safety measures at the facility. In response to the court’s findings and the inquest into Caseby’s death, Priory Healthcare has taken steps to improve patient safety, including increasing the height of courtyard fencing to 3.2 meters and installing anti-climb roller bars.
Matthew’s father publicly criticized the Priory Group, stating that the company had to be forced to face the consequences of its actions, which caused considerable distress to their family. Despite the defense acknowledging the company did not admit to causing Caseby’s death, the guilty plea to exposing users to avoidable harm was accepted.
In addition to the fine, the court ordered Priory Healthcare to pay over £43,000 in prosecution costs. District Judge Shamim Qureshi highlighted the company’s responsibility to care for vulnerable patients under the Mental Health Act, emphasizing the essential but challenging nature of providing safe yet minimal restrictive care.
Priory Healthcare expressed deep regret over the incident and extended its apologies to the Caseby family. The company reaffirmed its dedication to implementing all recommended safety measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, promising continued efforts to provide therapeutic environments for recovery while ensuring patient safety.
