Rampton hospital visits reveal harsh conditions for severe patients

Ramptons High-Security Hospital in Nottinghamshire holds severe mental health patients who pose grave or immediate danger, housing individuals including convicted criminals and patients transferred due to deteriorating mental health, The Guardian reported. Jan Neate visits her 45-year-old son, Jake, who has been held at the facility for eight years after killing his partner, Suzanne Brown, in 2017 while suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

The High Security Facility and Security Protocols

Built in 1912, Rampton is one of England’s three high-security hospitals alongside Ashworth in Merseyside and Broadmoor in Berkshire. When Jan Neate visits her son, facility staff take her fingerprints and biometrics before escorting her inside. Staff search Jake when he enters the visiting room and search him again when he leaves. Both of us usually cry when we hug, Neate said, describing the ordeal. It reminds me of what our lives were like before and I think it reminds Jake of that, too.

Secure hospitals manage people with severe mental health disorders who present immediate risks to themselves or the public. The facility has previously accommodated notable offenders including Peter Sutcliffe, Ronnie Kray, Ian Brady, Ian Huntley, Beverley Allitt, and Valdo Calocane. High-security hospitals drew additional public attention when Axel Rudakubana was moved from Belmarsh prison to Broadmoor in 2024 following a deterioration of his mental health.

Medical History and the 2017 Transition Off Clozapine

As a boy, Jake was happy and played football and swam, but at age 20 he received a diagnosis of schizophrenia. For a decade, the drug clozapine kept his condition stable while he lived in the community and managed a window-cleaning round in Essex. In 2007, he met Suzanne Brown at a disco in Harlow. Brown worked as a nursery nurse, supported Jake, and ensured he attended appointments and took his medication.

In 2017, doctors suddenly stopped Jake’s clozapine treatment after he experienced severe physical side effects including constipation, urine retention, and sleep disruption. Withdrawal from clozapine requires close clinical monitoring, but neither Jake, Suzanne, nor Jan Neate were informed of the risks.

Inspections and Care Quality Commission Findings

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections conducted between July 2019 and June 2023 identified staff shortages at Rampton, extended overnight lock-ups, poor medicine management, and recurring patient safeguarding issues. A focused CQC review in March 2024 noted that while staffing levels had improved and confinement had decreased, the facility continued relying on therapy and education staff to cover nursing gaps. In May 2025, the CQC upgraded Rampton’s rating from inadequate to requires improvement.

Daily Life and Confinement Concerns

Inside Rampton, Jake has faced periods of seclusion lasting several days, leaving his mother terrified for his safety. He has also suffered physical injuries, including shoulder and head trauma from falls during suspected seizures, while communications from the hospital to his mother remain limited to brief confirmations that he is eating, drinking, and sleeping.

Anyone who thinks Rampton is an easy option for someone like Jake really doesn’t understand how things are.

Jan Neate