A care worker has been arrested on suspicion of raping a patient at St Andrew's Hospital, a private mental health facility in Northampton that treats hundreds of NHS patients. The arrest is part of a wider investigation into eight employees who were taken into custody on suspicion of wilful neglect and ill treatment following an allegation of assault in July 2025.
Northamptonshire Police confirmed that one of the eight suspects has been arrested specifically on suspicion of rape. All eight have been released on bail, and the investigation remains ongoing. Police stated they are in contact with the Care Quality Commission and urged anyone with information to come forward.
The hospital, run by the charity St Andrew's Healthcare, is also facing a separate investigation into the death of a patient in February 2025. Five people were arrested on suspicion of corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter; four have been released without further action, while one remains on bail for wilful neglect by a care worker.
Additionally, a corporate manslaughter investigation was launched after the death of a teenager in October 2024, but no further action was taken following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. Police are preparing a report for the Coroner ahead of an inquest.
St Andrew's Healthcare earns more than £200 million annually from NHS contracts and provides inpatient mental health services across three hospitals in Northampton, Birmingham, and Essex. A spokesperson for the charity said they have a zero-tolerance approach to harm, immediately suspended all staff involved, and have since dismissed several following internal investigations and referrals to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
