Father of Deceased Daughter Criticizes Mental Health Care System

Pete Aitken believes his daughter, Hannah, would still be alive if she had not been sent to a series of inadequate mental health hospitals. Hannah Aitken, who struggled with autism and ADHD, took her own life at the age of 22 in September 2023. Her death has left her family devastated. "I think about Hannah every hour of every day, more than once, every hour, every day," Pete Aitken said.

The family home is filled with memories of Hannah, including photos, candles, and purple flowers, her favorite color. They have also planted a tree in the garden where her beloved trampoline once stood.

Hannah was admitted to Huntercombe Hospital-Stafford in 2017, a facility that was already in special measures at the time. Pete Aitken claims that the treatment Hannah received there only worsened her condition. "I don't believe that they gave her any care or treatment there that helped her," he stated.

Over four years, Hannah was transferred to six different mental health hospitals, most of which were publicly funded and privately operated. According to reports, three of these facilities were rated as either "inadequate" or "requires improvement" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Two of the hospitals were closed while Hannah was a patient. "That to me is an indication of how bad the system is, and how bad the care that she received was," Pete said. He added that the facilities could only keep her safe, likening her experience to being in prison, devoid of any quality of life.

In 2023, Hannah reached out to share her experiences with the media, stating, "I will never forget what I was put through... I put up with so much and it's only now I realized it wasn't right; for years I blamed myself." Despite her hospitalizations, Hannah never fully recovered. In September 2023, she took a lethal dose of poison purchased online.

Following her death, her family is advocating for changes in laws regarding the sale of poisons. Pete Aitken revealed, "One gram of this poison is lethal. We found out from Hannah's inquest she ordered a kilogram of 99.6% purity." He noted that while there are legitimate uses for the substance, the concentration for those uses is typically less than 1%.

Hannah's tragic death has reignited discussions about the outsourcing of mental health services to private providers that have been criticized for their performance. An NHS England spokesperson expressed condolences to Hannah's family, stating, "The NHS has repeatedly made clear that all services must provide safe, high-quality care, irrespective of whether they are NHS or independent sector-led. We continue to work closely with the CQC to monitor, identify, and take appropriate action where it is needed."

Elli Investments Group, which owned The Huntercombe Group until 2021, expressed regret that the hospitals did not meet expectations.

For those in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, support is available through various hotlines, including Samaritans in the UK at 116 123 and in the US at 1 (800) 273-TALK.