MUM’S GRIEF AFTER CAUGHT ON CCTV: THE CARERS WHO FAILED TRAGIC BEN
NAKED and slumped over a sofa, Ben King stops breathing in front of a carer... who does nothing to help him.
Ben, 32, had Down’s Syndrome but would lie stricken for at least seven minutes – by which time the carer had WALKED OFF.
CCTV released for the first time with consent of his family lays bare his shocking death at a private unit for children and adults with autism and learning disabilities.
Today, Ben’s mum tells the story of her beloved son – one of thousands who were kept in “Assessment and Treatment Units”.
They were meant to return home after care but many, like Ben, ended up trapped for years.
The Tories, under David Cameron, vowed to shut failing units 10 years ago after neglect and ill-treatment was exposed at the Winterbourne View unit in South Glos .
The aim was to replace them with community care, but many stayed open. Money-spinning Cawston Park, near Norwich, was among them – and poor Ben paid the price.
CALLOUS
He died on July 29, 2020. The deaths of two other Cawston inpatients in 2018 form the basis of a separate independent review.
The CCTV shows Ben before and after he slipped into cardiac arrest.
It was shown at his inquest this month and released by the coroner to the Sunday Mirror with permission of Ben’s mother Gina Egmore.
She had tried to raise the alarm for two years over what she thought was sub-standard care. Gina, 53, told us: “I’m feeling the pain as much as I did when he died. I still find it hard to believe Ben has gone. People meant to keep him safe failed him and that’s hard to take.
“I cried when they showed the videos in court. They were meant to be looking after him? He was naked and vulnerable. It was so dreadful.
“And then they left him slumped in the chair unconscious and walked off. It was callous. No one lies slumped like that without a problem. Nobody cared at all.”
Ben spent two years at Cawston, which closed in May. The private firm which ran it and other properties made £500,000 profit in 2020.
Described as “friendly and lovable”, Ben had a severe learning disability and communication difficulties. He battled obstructive sleep apnoea – when breathing stops involuntarily. It required his weight to be closely managed.
Yet Ben, who was just 5ft, was allowed to balloon by 3st to 16st 9lb, his inquest heard. It triggered the
They were meant to look after him, but there was no compassion... it’s dreadful GINA EGMORE MUM SLAMS HOSPITAL OVER SON’S DEATH
perilous breathing disorder obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Ben had also been sedated with promethazine to control his behaviour – highly dangerous for someone with a respiratory condition.
The footage released by coroner Jacqueline Lake shows Ben in critical need of medical attention after his oxygen levels had again plummeted perilously low. But instead of recording observations, a staff member jostles him. Police are probing claims Ben was struck immediately afterwards.
One hour later, at 7am, footage shows Ben bent over after collapsing – while a carer sits in a chair by the door. The carer then walks off. It was at 7.07am that the alarm was raised by a passing nurse who could not rouse Ben. He was rushed to
hospital but could not be revived. A day earlier, Gina urged staff to call an ambulance after seeing how her son’s condition had worsened.
That day, Ben came outside, begging to go home. Gina, from Aylsham, Norfolk, added: “I was trying to keep him calm, give him hope. It was very upsetting because he looked so unwell but I felt powerless to do anything.
“I said goodbye and turned to walk to my car. I heard Ben calling me. I didn’t want to look back because it might upset him even more. I cried as I drove down the drive. It was the last time I saw Ben alive.”
Inquest jurors concluded major failings led to Ben’s death. An expert told the hearing that, if he hadn’t gained weight, it is unlikely Ben would have developed respiratory deterioration.
And if his weight had come down this would likely have corrected his problems, it was said. The inquest found Ben “died due to inadequate weight management and failure to diagnose obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and inadequate consideration of the use of promethazine”.
The inquest also found there was a “failure to identify the seriousness of a life-threatening situation”.
Cawston had been in special measures since 2019. Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission said there had been “consistent failures”. Lucy
McKay, of charity Inquest – which supports bereaved relatives of people who die in public settings – said: “Ben was left to languish and decline in a failing hospital for two years.
“Despite love and commitment of his mother, they were let down by the very people who should have been keeping him healthy and safe. Particularly in his final moments, it appears staff lost sight of Ben’s humanity and their duty to