Recent claims by the Independent newspaper alleging that the listing of Broadmoor Prison hampers patient care have been dismissed as ‘potentially irresponsible journalism’ by the Director of The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the professional body for building conservation specialists.
IHBC Director Dr Seán O’Reilly pointed out that the paper should be reporting on an NHS Trust classed as ‘seriously flawed’ by its regulator, the Care Quality Commission. ‘It is astounding that the newspaper highlights un-substantiated and un-corroborated allegations from a health trust clearly identified as dysfunctional, without referring to the wide-ranging systemic failings in the trust highlighted by its regulator. The press report ignored the regulator’s conclusions that ‘the system that the trust had in place to [ensure that services are safe and people are protected] was seriously flawed’. Clearly the newspaper’s report is no less seriously flawed.’
Dr O’Reilly continued: ‘It is unacceptable that an 82 page critique of a key health body – raising issues that everyone cares about – should be sidelined in favour of a marginal allegation largely dismissed by the inspecting body itself! For a health report to appear to blame eight suicides on a historic building, without reporting the failings of those in charge of care, is misleading at best, and potentially irresponsible.’
Dr O’Reilly suggested that ‘Any competent organisation responsible for listed buildings should know that it can get free and informed advice from their local authority or national heritage agencies such as English Heritage, while the IHBC provides a web-based list of specialists who can give detailed advice on conservation issues’. Dr O’Reilly concluded: ‘As the NHS is producing guidance on the health benefits of features in traditional buildings and places, it seems particularly perverse that a health report in the press should try to use rumours about old buildings to cover up the very management failings it should be highlighting’.
Nigel Barker, an English Heritage case officer for Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, said: ‘If there had been cases where patients hanged themselves from the bars we would treat it very seriously. Just because a building is listed does not mean it cannot be changed. We would ask what is the justification and, if it were to reduce suicides, then that would be a robust justification.’
References
IHBC website: www.ihbc.org.uk
Independent report:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/broadmoors-
heritage-status-blamed-for-high-suicide-rate-1754408.html
CQC Press Release & report:
http://www.cqc.org.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases.cfm? cit_id=35233&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false
NHS/NICE Guidance on Health:
http://www.library.nhs.uk/PUBLICHEALTH/ViewResource.aspx?resID=277678
