The UK’s care watchdog has revealed it has seen new CCTV footage of staff allegedly assaulting patients at a privately run mental health hospital, days after it was revealed hundreds of patients are set to be removed from its care.
St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northampton faces the removal of 287 NHS patients following a string of police investigations into allegations of abuse, rape, and neglect.
Now, a new report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed that in October last year, inspectors found CCTV evidence showing two instances of patient assault by staff. The footage also showed inappropriate restraint of patients, including a staff member covering a patient's mouth.
In a report published on Friday, the CQC rated its forensic and secure services – which are for severely unwell patients – as inadequate, and said it found six cases of staff asleep when they were supposed to be observing patients, which “was a serious patient safety risk”.
One staff member told inspectors the lack of staff was “adversely affecting the mental health of staff”, another nurse said “staff numbers are the biggest issue”, adding “I can’t remember the last time I could sit and talk to patients”.
On Thursday, The Independent revealed the NHS had decided to take further action and remove all NHS-funded patients from the hospital over continued fears for their safety.
The move came after The Independent revealed in January that the Northampton-based hospital was facing multiple police investigations and that more than a dozen staff had been arrested.
One corporate manslaughter probe was launched following the death of a teenager in October 2024. This has since been dropped.
Following a second patient death in February 2025, Northamptonshire Police arrested five people in relation to corporate manslaughter and alleged wilful neglect by a care worker. Four workers have since been released with no further action, but one person remains on bail for alleged wilful neglect by a care worker. The police took no further action in relation to the corporate manslaughter element of the probe, following discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service
In addition to this, and following reports in July 2025, eight care workers were arrested on suspicion of wilful neglect and ill treatment, and have been released on bail. The Independent revealed in February that one of the arrested workers had been arrested in relation to an allegation of rape of a patient.
St Andrew’s Healthcare is a registered charity and provides inpatient mental health services across four hospitals in Northampton, Birmingham, and Essex, and received £206m a year from NHS contracts in 2023-24.
The removal of patients does not apply to the provider’s Birmingham and Essex hospitals, although NHS England is currently monitoring these sites.
St Andrew’s Healthcare spokesperson said: “We accept the CQC’s conclusions and are sorry that care at our Northampton hospital has not always met the high standards patients deserve.
“Since the inspection four months ago, we have made significant changes across every ward. Following NHS England’s decision to seek alternative placements for patients, we will continue to drive improvements so that, for the time they are with us, patients receive safe and compassionate care.”
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