'No cause for concern' over 'lost' patients

The NHS Executive North West -- which monitors the performance of all health trusts in the region -- said there was no cause for concern over the number of incidents adding the hospital was "not a prison."

But Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans today slammed the decision and demanded they have a change of heart.

The Tory vice-chairman is to contact Health Secretary Alan Milburn and the NHS Executive North West.

A spokesman for the NHS Executive North West said: "Calderstones is not a prison. "All patients undergo risk assessment and appropriate levels of security are allocated if necessary.

"We cannot comment on individual patients but each of these seven cases have to be taken on their own merit.

"There will be no inquiry into the Trust and we are not aware of any particular problem."

But Mr Evans, who has led calls for a review in the past, said he was "mystified."

He said: "I think there should be an inquiry.

"It's very disturbing to think that they believe each case should be treated separately when there are so many similar cases.

"There clearly is a security problem and that is worrying for staff, patients and people who live nearby."

"I am not happy about this. I think there should be an inquiry and I shall be in touch with the Secretary of State, with whom I am already in correspondence.

"And with the NHS Executive North West to ask them to change their minds and hold a full investigation. "Internal investigations are all very well but I think there should be an independent inquiry now. This is just not good enough."

His calls come as the search for the latest patient to abscond continues.

Andrew Sutcliffe, 18, gave staff the slip while on a home visit to his mother's house in Manchester last Wednesday.

After telling the female member of Calderstones staff, who accompanied him on the visit, he needed to go to the toilet he slipped out of the back door.

Mr Sutcliffe -- who has mild learning disabilities -- was sent to the hospital via the courts and is a resident of the more secure West Drive unit of the ward. His level of risk of absconding was one in a scale up to eight. Calderstones NHS Trust chief executive Russ Pearce said this would now be reviewed once he is found.

When asked if she was happy with the number of people who had absconded from Calderstones, Trust chairman Christine Kirk said: "Calderstones is not a prison, it is a hospital providing care and treatment for people with a learning disability.

"All decisions are made by an experienced and qualified clinical team with every client having an individual risk assessment continually reviewed by this team.

"We have given a public commitment to protect the safety of the public, our staff and clients, and we will continue to take all reasonable and practical steps to do so.

"We are working closely with the commissioners of our service to make sure that all appropriate measures are in place, including a regular review of our practices and policies. We are also independently monitored in all aspects of our work."

Whalley councillor Joyce Holgate said she had spoken to Mr Pearce about this latest incident and said she was happy with what she had been told.

She said: "Calderstones keep assuring me that there is no implication to the village which is my main concern.

"I will continue to monitor the situation but as long as their is no danger to the villagers then I feel I have done my job."

Incidents this year are:

JANUARY 2001: The Trust admits three patients had gone missing in the previous 12 months. All were found within hours.

MARCH: A patient was found 35 miles away in a pub in Halifax after going on the run.

JUNE: A patient -- believed to be a convicted arsonist -- absconded from Burnley General Hospital. He was found nearly an hour later with a lighter. That same month Trust bosses admitted another patient had gone missing for more than an hour.

JULY: Andrew Sutcliffe walked out of his mum's house on an accompanied home visit. He is still missing.