in the hospital where she was meant to
be looked after.
These are the last moments on camera of
Ruth Schmankovich.
Ruth needed constant supervision,
but she was left alone for 15 minutes
and fatally selfharmed.
>> Bruce was a one-off unique,
wonderful girl.
>> Very adventurous. would always throw her
hand in at anything.
>> Yeah, she was always first to volunteer,
first to jump in.
>> An inquest concluded Ruth was unlawfully
killed.
>> I think people often talk about justice
for this or that. And you know, I think
we we we struggle with that because we
feel there can be no justice for Ruth.
Um she's dead. She's gone. Ruth was a
patient at the Hunterum Hospital in
Barkshshire, a specialist children's
psychiatric unit. Catastrophic failings
here led to her death. But these were
failings which had been known about for
years.
This hospital was closed in 2023 after
Sky News uncovered disturbing evidence
about the treatment of young people
here. These are the numerous critical
reports which were published, including
three in the year leading up to Ruth's
death from the care regulator, the CQC,
highlighting significant and repeated
failings. CQC inspectors visited the
hospital days before Ruth's death.
Observation policy was a significant
issue. This CCTV shows Ruth with her
support worker. It was his first ever
shift, and we now know he'd faked his
ID. Ruth should be on onetoone
observation, but she's unwatched.
One former employee told me this wasn't
unusual. Steph Smith, who'd been a
patient there herself, worked on Ruth's
ward.
>> It was chaotic. It was scary and really,
really intense.
Steph says everyone knew the hospital
was failing yet nothing changed.
>> There was a huge culture of covering
things up and so there were, you know,
lots of reports and investigations that
used to say observations weren't done.
And so instead of the observations
actually taking place, what would happen
is people would just at the end of the
shift sign on the clipboard to say that
they had been done, knowing full well
they hadn't. The CQC was so concerned
about the hospital's observation
policies, it issued a warning notice.
But Ruth's parents say a legal loophole
meant that warning prevented the
regulator from prosecuting. The CQC says
it carried out a full criminal
investigation into Ruth's death, but the
evidence did not meet the threshold. The
regulator said they've met with Ruth's
family to explain the decision and added
there's no suggestion the outcome would
have been different if there'd been no
warning notice.
58 former Hunterkum patients are taking
legal action, including Amber. An
independent report into her care
criticized poor observation records. It
was published exactly a year before
Ruth's death.
>> Ruth's story, what happened to her. Um I
I've been through I've heard so many
similar stories of it happening to so
many people and I was obviously lucky in
a way but you know it could happen to
anyone. It could still be happening out
there.
>> Ruth's death raises many difficult
questions about the oversight, the
monitoring and the inspection of
privatelyun publicly funded mental
health units.
Why did our daughter have to die before
anyone actually paid any attention to
make some changes? They knew all this
before she died.
>> Active Care Group acquired the Hunter
Group who ran Taplo Manor in December
2021. It told Sky News, "We deeply
regret the tragic event that occurred
and we're truly sorry for the distress
this has caused. We directed significant
investment in staff training,
recruitment, and the hospital estate
over an 18-month period. By early 2023,
it became clear that achieving the high
standards of care would not be possible
within an acceptable time scale. We're
dedicated to learning any further
lessons. Ellie Investments Group, the
previous owners of the Hunter Group
until 2021, said they regret these
hospitals, which were independently
managed, failed to meet expectations.
>> Ruth died under the care of the state,
and we very much hope that the Secretary
of State for for
Health and for mental health are
listening to Ruth's story. Ruth's
parents are both doctors working in the
NHS. They say there's been no
accountability for her death and a
warning the government must do more to
protect the most vulnerable young
people. Laura Bundock, Sky News.