Families of patients in high-security hospitals describe the challenges of care and communication within facilities housing individuals with severe mental health disorders.
Key facts
- •England's high-security hospitals are designed for patients who pose a grave or immediate danger to themselves or the public.
- •Jake Neate was found mentally unfit to stand trial for killing his partner, Suzanne Brown, in 2017.
- •CQC inspections at Rampton have highlighted concerns regarding staff shortages, medicine management, and the treatment of patients in segregation.
- •Patients in these facilities may be subject to forced medication via injection if they refuse treatment.
- •The Care Quality Commission upgraded Rampton's rating to "requires improvement" in May 2025.
England operates three high-security hospitals—Rampton, Ashworth, and Broadmoor—for individuals with severe mental health disorders who pose a danger to themselves or the public. Jan Neate, whose son Jake has been held at Rampton for eight years, describes the visiting process as an ordeal. Jake was admitted after being found mentally unfit to stand trial for the 2017 killing of his partner, Suzanne Brown.
Conditions and Oversight at Rampton
Rampton Hospital, built in 1912, has faced scrutiny regarding staffing levels and patient care. Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections between 2019 and 2023 identified shortages of staff, leading to reduced therapeutic programs and increased use of room confinement. A May 2025 report upgraded the hospital's rating from "inadequate" to "requires improvement," noting that while staffing and medicine management had improved, the trust still faces challenges in supporting staff and ensuring patients in long-term segregation are treated with dignity.
The Path to Incarceration
Jake Neate was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 20 and remained stable for a decade while taking clozapine. In 2017, the medication was stopped due to physical side effects. His mother states that the withdrawal was not adequately monitored, leading to a rapid decline in his mental health. Despite attempts by Jake and his family to seek medical intervention, his condition worsened, culminating in the death of his partner, Suzanne Brown, in December 2017.
Timeline
- 2017Jake Neate's clozapine medication was stopped, followed by a decline in his mental health and the death of Suzanne Brown.
- July 2019 – June 2023CQC inspections identified failings at Rampton, including staff shortages and poor medicine management.
- March 2024A focused CQC review noted improvements in staffing levels but raised concerns about the treatment of patients in long-term segregation.
- May 2025The CQC upgraded Rampton's rating from "inadequate" to "requires improvement."
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Guardian Health.
