Mum of dead autistic woman kept in padded hospital room says 'I miss her every day'

The mother of Stephanie Bincliffe, who had a learning disability and autism, and was kept in a padded hospital room for nearly seven years until dying from heart failure and sleep apnoea, due to obesity, said “I miss her every day”.

Ms Bincliffe, died in an assessment and treatment unit called Linden House run by The Huntercombe Group in East Riding. She was sectioned under the Mental Health Act when she was 18 years old and kept in a padded room for almost seven years until her death, an inquest at Hull Coroners Court heard.

The inquest recorded a case of narrative verdict and said it was not a case of neglect.

Coroner Professor Marks determined that there was no cohesive plan in place to manage Ms Bincliffe’s weight and challenging behaviour. But he also stated he didn’t believe any of the options to treat her weight, such as calorie control, surgery or diet pills would have been able to be implemented effectively due to her autism and tendency to self-harm.

By the time she died, Ms Bincliffe was morbidly obese. She gained ten stone during her time in the unit and yet she had no independent access to food.

Nancy Collins, a specialist solicitor at Irwin Mitchell representing her family at the inquest, said: “This case highlights real concerns about the quality of the care and treatment provided to people with severe learning disabilities, including when they are detained under the mental health act.

“Stephanie was detained for a period of almost seven years throughout which time she did not leave her padded environment, gained 10 stone in weight and had little or no fresh air or exercise.

“Some of the evidence at the inquest criticised the hospital’s management of Stephanie’s physical health and obesity. The evidence highlighted the failure of hospital staff to act in her best interests regarding her weight gain, contrary to the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act. It is imperative that lessons are learned from Stephanie’s tragic death to prevent similar deaths in future.”

'Aching pain and immense sadness'

Ms Bincliffe’s mother, Elizabeth Bincliffe, called her daughter a “beautiful young woman and daughter” and said: "I was told that the Mental Health Act was designed to help and protect people like Stephanie. Yet sectioning her to a hospital miles from her home caused her immense confusion and distress, and the people caring for her didn't fully understand her and did not adequately protect her.

“When you earned her trust and she let you in to her world, the connection you made was magical. I feel honoured to have been Stephanie’s mother and to have shared those moments with her. I wake in the night and think of her. I miss her every day. I have lost my daughter and am left with an aching pain and immense sadness.”

Jennifer Bincliffe, Ms Bincliffe’s sister, added: “Beyond question Stephanie was a unique individual who was a teacher in disguise to those who listened. I feel there are no words to begin to describe her loss to me; however I feel this was her final lesson to us all.

“Stephanie had a beautiful mind which was often misunderstood; my life has an emptiness now she has gone. My only sanctuary is that now she is truly free. Anything that happens now as a result of her passing on will be bitter sweet for me. As a family we relentlessly did all that was possible for us to do in our power, to no avail. We felt that we had no voice and we could only watch in agony as the one we loved and knew deteriorated and faded away.”

Campaigners want the Government to review care for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour.

'Life tragically cut short'

Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap, and Vivien Cooper, chief executive of The Challenging Behaviour Foundation said: “At just 25 years of age, Stephanie had her whole life ahead of her. But her life was tragically cut short when the service entrusted with her care failed to look after her. We are deeply disappointed that the Coroner’s judgment does not reflect the seriousness of the failings of the service, which we believe were revealed during the inquest.”

She refuted the idea that Ms Bincliffe’s behaviour made her too difficult to treat as “unacceptable” saying “the evidence at the Inquest suggested Stephanie’s complex needs were not properly managed and there were no real attempts to put plans in place. That is inexcusable.

“It is shocking enough that people with a learning disability are living long-term in assessment and treatment units – that they are dying in them is beyond belief. We call on the Department of Health to urgently instigate an independent inquiry into any death of a person with a learning disability in an inpatient unit.”

There should have been a clear plan in place to address Ms Bincliffe’s weight and eating habits, according to Professor Tony Holland, an expert psychiatrist, based at the University of Cambridge, who said: “I would expect a specialist service to make proper attempts to try and treat someone with complex needs and to bring in expertise if they are unsure how to do this. There should have been a clear plan in place to address Stephanie’s weight and eating habits from day one. This did not happen and it could have saved her life.”

The Huntercombe Group, who ran the assessment and treatment unit, have settled with the family and paid damages, they will also be issuing a letter of apology to the family.