London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 01, 2026

Three women died at Priory psychiatric unit in two months

Three women died at Priory psychiatric unit in two months

Two other young women died in the same psychiatric hospital as a mental health blogger in the two months before her death, a BBC investigation has found.

Beth Matthews, 26, from Cornwall, ordered a poisonous substance from Russia, which was posted to her secure ward at Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal near Stockport, where she ingested it.

The BBC has learned Lauren Bridges and Deseree Fitzpatrick also died there.

The hospital said the deaths were "extremely tragic" but "unconnected".

Ms Matthews died in March 2022 after swallowing the toxic substance in front of staff.

A jury at South Manchester Coroners' Court concluded she died from suicide contributed to by neglect.

The jury's foreman said the hospital had provided "inadequate care of a highly vulnerable patient".

The inquest heard that, three weeks before her death, Ms Matthews had told a nurse "there are things you can purchase to do the job".

Her care plan indicated she should not be allowed to open her own post.

On the day she died she was being supervised by two members of staff.

Ms Matthews was able to get the top off a small plastic container and, despite being restrained, was able to swallow a quantity of powder inside.

She died in hospital later that day.

"Something occurred in a place where she was supposed to be safe that should never have been allowed to happen," her father Chris Matthews said.

BBC News can reveal that four weeks before, on 24 February, Ms Bridges died.

The 20-year-old, who was diagnosed with a form of autism, was also on a secure ward at the time.

Her inquest is due to take place next month.

Beth Matthews, from Cornwall, was a well-known mental health blogger

About a month before, on 23 January 2022, Ms Fitzpatrick died.

The 30-year-old, who was being treated for the effects of alcoholism, was admitted to the hospital after her mental health deteriorated.

Her inquest found she was given inappropriate medication by staff which caused "significant sedation".

This caused her to choke to death in her sleep.

Ms Fitzpatrick's inquest heard that her carers were meant to check on her throughout the night at 15-minute intervals.

But CCTV evidence showed those checks were, in the words of the coroner, "woefully inadequate".

Those failures did not cause her death, however.

"If my daughter didn't go into the Priory, she'd still be alive today," her mother Angela Porter said.

"They killed her. They've got blood on their hands. And I'm not going to let this go until I get justice for my daughter."

Deseree Fitzpatrick died eight weeks before Beth Matthews


The deaths of all three women raise serious questions over the standard of care at the Priory Royal Cheadle.

The Priory Group is one of the biggest providers of private mental health services to the NHS, with 85% of its services publicly funded.

It is the parent company of the private Priory clinic in Roehampton, the London clinic best known for treating celebrities.

A series of scandals at inpatient mental health units in England, both NHS and private, have increased calls for a public inquiry.

Brian Dow, Mental Health UK's chief executive said: "These units are dealing with some of the most vulnerable patients who have the greatest level of need.

"The quality of support has got to be of the absolute highest order.

"I think what too many units do not do is treat those patients like people."

One former patient at the Priory Royal Cheadle has identified staffing shortages and a heavy reliance on short-term agency staff as a problem.

Meredith Movel, who is trying to get the hospital closed down, says she never felt safe there


Meredith Movel, who was undergoing treatment in 2015, said that even back then, it was a problem.

The 22-year-old has since started an online petition to have the hospital closed down.

"The longer it's open, the more people are going to die, basically" she said.

"And I can't have that on my conscience."

A Priory hospital statement said: "We apologise unreservedly for the shortcomings in the care of Deseree Fitzpatrick and Beth Matthews last year, and want to express our sincere condolences to their families and friends.

"We are unable to comment on a further death at Cheadle Royal Hospital until the inquest concludes later this year."

While the deaths were "completely unconnected" all lessons learned from incidents "are shared widely with our staff and reinforced through ward meetings," it added.

"The safety of our patients remains our utmost priority and we immediately took action to address the issues raised in both inquests, and our own robust investigations, and enhanced our procedures."

Cheadle Royal Hospital was inspected by the Care Quality Commission last April and received a rating of good, including for the domain of safety.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Global Billionaire Numbers Rise 13 Percent Amid Artificial Intelligence Stock Boom
Body of Fifteen-Year-Old Boy Recovered from Manchester Reservoir
Major Rail Disruption in UK After Cows Stray Onto Intercity Tracks
UK Launches National Campaign to Reduce Water Consumption After Heatwave
Foreign Secretary David Lammy Raises Case of UK Woman Death with US Authorities
Shetland Islands Council Approves Subsea Tunnel Plans Linking Major Islands
Telegraph Media Group Takeover by German-Led Consortium Completed
Resident Doctors in England Accept Government Pay and Conditions Deal
Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Economic Vision Amid Labour Leadership Debate
Asylum Seekers in UK Face £10,000 Contribution Requirement Under New Law
UK Government Moves to Break Apple and Google App Store Dominance
New UK Steel Tariffs and Import Quotas Aim to Shield Domestic Industry
Damning Report Exposes Failures in Maternity and Neonatal Care Across England
Government Data Reveals Five Billion Pound Shortfall in UK Defence Budget
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Unveils Three Hundred Billion Pound Defence Investment Plan
UK Crime and Policing Act 2026 Comes into Force with New Justice System Reforms
UK Prime Minister Hosts NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for Security Talks at Downing Street
UK Tightens Oversight of Emissions Trading Scheme Through New Ministerial Directions
UK Issues Statement at UN Security Council on Violence in the West Bank
UK Environment Agency Clears Illegal Waste Site in West Yorkshire After Court Action
UK Resident Sentenced for Fraudulently Claiming £30,000 in Covid Business Loans
UK Launches Taskforce to Help Young People Claim Dormant Child Trust Fund Savings
UK Gambling Commission Fines Betfred Operator Petfre Gibraltar £900,000 Over Social Responsibility Failures
UK Appoints Lord Collins as Global Envoy for LGBT+ Rights
UK Expands Detention Capacity to Support Removal of Foreign Criminals and Failed Asylum Seekers
UK Resident Doctors End Strike Action After Accepting Government Pay Deal
UK Tightens Sentencing for Domestic Killings with 25-Year Starting Point for Murder of Partners
UK to Build at Least Six New Royal Navy Warships Under Expanded Defence Programme
UK Government Unveils £5 Billion Defence Investment Plan Focused on Drones and Autonomous Warfare Systems
UK Economy Records 0.6% First Quarter Growth as Services and Manufacturing Drive Steady Expansion
Welsh Government Unveils New Agricultural Support Plan Focused on Sustainability and Rural Growth
UK Teacher Recruitment Shortfalls Continue in Science and STEM Subjects
Police Scotland Expands Cybercrime Investigations Amid Rising Digital Fraud
UK Universities Warn of Risk to International Student Numbers Amid Visa Changes
UK Defence Ministry Pivots Toward Greater Domestic Military Procurement
UK Launches National Rail Review After Repeated Service Disruptions
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Long-Term Funding Settlement for Public Services
UK Accelerates Approval of North Sea Offshore Wind Projects to Expand Energy Capacity
UK Retail Sales Fall as Households Cut Discretionary Spending in June
UK Expands Border Intelligence Cooperation with France and Belgium to Target Smuggling Networks
Scottish Government Faces Pressure Over Delays in Major Infrastructure and Transport Projects
UK Launches Multi-Billion-Pound Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Investment Fund
National Health Service Warns of Continued Emergency Department Strain Across England
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Hold as Wage Growth Keeps Inflation Elevated
UK Sets Emergency Fiscal Strategy as Inflation Pressures and Weak Manufacturing Growth Persist
UK Launches New Measures to Improve Safety Standards in Night-Time Venues
UK Tightens Import Rules for Low-Value Parcels to Support Domestic Retailers
UK Launches £85 Million Obesity Care Programme Targeting Early Intervention Projects
UK Commits Up to $26 Million to Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of Congo
Security Industry Authority Flags Safety Failures in Night-Time Economy Inspections
×