Peaceful vigil at Taplow Manor offers closure to ex-patients

A peaceful vigil providing ‘closure’ to former patients of Taplow Manor and related mental health hospitals took place on Saturday.

Taplow Manor was a troubled mental health hospital for adolescents that was repeatedly criticised by the Care Quality Commission and was eventually placed in special measures.

The operator that took over the hospital in 2021, Active Care Group, argued it hadn't been given enough credit for improvements to services, but announced in March that the youth and adolescent hospital would close.

The group planned to open up a new adult mental health service on the same site – but abandoned the idea.

An action group set up to oppose the move and raise awareness of the treatment of young people in such hospitals, First Do No Harm, planned a peaceful vigil outside the gates of Taplow Manor.

This went ahead on Saturday afternoon despite the U-turn by Active Care Group.

Attending were former patients of Taplow Manor and other psychiatric care facilities under the same current and former providers.

Around 30 people, including family members of ex-patients (and one therapy dog) braved the rain to tie ribbons on the locked gate of the closed-down hospital.

Electric candles were also lit in memory of those who have lost their lives within psychiatric care settings, and those patients who were unable to attend the vigil.

Nima Hunt is a former patient of one of the Huntercombe hospitals (as theywere previously known, referring to the old provider) and a First Do No Harm member. She was there at the vigil.

She said the group received many messages from people who planned to come– but never made it as far as the actual gates of Taplow Manor.

“Some people had driven from Devon to Reading but couldn’t face it,” she said. “It was just too much. It still holds that power over people’s lives.”

Binky Davis, mother of one of the young people at Taplow Manor, said that just seeing the gates was a
difficult, emotional experience, causing ‘immense’ flashbacks for ex-patients.

Most of those who arrived on Saturday made ad hoc speeches and ‘a few brave people’ described their experiences in hospital.

Then everyone wrote down notes – whatever they wanted to express – and burned them in a fire pit.

“Taking all that anger and putting it down and burning it – I think that was great for the ex-users,” Binky said. “That felt like a powerful thing to do, an important gesture to make.

“The moment we started out there was a thunderstorm – and the sun came out just as we were lighting the fire pit,” she added. “It couldn’t have summed up the mood better.”

Coming together at the site was ‘haunting’ and ‘surreal’ – but also provided much-needed closure, the pair said.

“We’re here to promote therapeutic care and how to do things properly,” said Binky.

First Do No Harm said this vigil is ‘the beginning’ rather than the end of its work, as there are still so many young people in psychiatric care settings that are not nurturing.

该集团的目标是提高对这些和反面的认识tinue to help people come together to share their experiences and gain closure.