Stewart Greene was jailed for life for the murder of Alex Robinson on December 23, 2014.
A nine-year-old Lincoln boy’s drowning could have been avoided had his grandad, who was jailed for life over the death, had a less rushed discharge from a mental health ward.
Stewart Greene was angry because his daughter Joanne, 38, would not allow him to move into her home following his discharge from a psychiatric unit in Lincoln.
Joanne had urged staff not to release him due to her fears of what he might do.
Then, on December 23, 2014 whilst Joanne was out shopping, her father went on to drown her son Alex Robinson in the bath, just 12 days after his discharge. He was jailed for life.
A report by NHS England was published on Thursday, November 19 after an independent investigation into the care and treatment of Stewart Greene. He is referred to as “Mr T”.
The reports says his discharge from the mental health ward was “rushed” with “no clearly documented rationale or discussion leading to the sudden decision to discharge him”.
Mr Greene had been in and out of psychiatric units for nearly 20 years, including units provided by Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and was diagnosed with a psychopathic personality disorder.
He had been threatening towards his family and trust staff in the past. He assaulted trust staff, but it would not have been possible for them to have predicted that his behaviour would escalate to the degree that it would, according to the report.
However, the investigating team did consider that there were actions that the trust staff could have taken that might have avoided him killing Alex.
The investigation team believes it would not have been possible to predict the incident, but it might have been possible to avoid it happening had he been discharged from in-patient care in a “planned and structured way with an enhanced package of care”.
The report details 13 recommendations for LPFT, as well as two for the local clinical commissioning groups, to further improve learning from this event, including in areas around discharge and transfer, and clinical response and engagement.
LPFT said it welcomed the publication of the report and all of the recommendations have been “acted upon and completed”.
Alex Robinson died on December 23, 2014.
Family reaction
After the publication of the NHS Independent Investigation, Alex’s mum Jo Greene described her son as a “vibrant, loving, and unique nine-year-old boy” and said she can “only hope lessons will truly be learnt from Alex’s death”.
She said: “We remain concerned and angry that Alex’s death was entirely preventable – had the numerous and repeated failings documented in this report not occurred.
“We know now (my dad) Stewart Greene was discharged without an adequate care plan, or even sufficient medication to keep him safe and well. That should not have happened.
“When we tried to raise serious concerns we were not listened to. That should not have happened. These failings placed our family at serious risk, and, we believe, ultimately cost Alex his life.”
LPFT response
Anita Lewin, Director of Nursing AHPs and Quality at LPFT, said: “On behalf of our trust, I would like to say how very sorry we are about Alex’s death.
“This was a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and sympathies continue to be with Jo, John and Alex’s family. No parent should ever have to experience the loss of a child and I cannot imagine the grief they continue to experience.
“We welcome the publication of today’s report, which makes a number of recommendations, all of which have been acted upon and completed.
“We note the finding in the report about the importance of listening to the views of the family and we now have a clear programme in place to support our staff to listen to family members and carers, involving them as partners in care.
“We continually seek feedback about all of our services and constantly strive to make improvements in the way we care for and treat our patients, working together with partner organisations in health and care to safely plan discharge from hospital and provide on-going support in the community.
“Whilst nothing will ever bring back Alex, we welcome the publication of today’s report and hope it goes some way towards bringing an element of closure and understanding about what happened and how we have acted to improve and learn from this terrible tragedy.”
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This week there have been 1,940 positive cases of COVID-19 and 116 deaths in Greater Lincolnshire, as the region moves towards tier 3 restrictions next week.
Some 396 coronavirus cases and 27 COVID-related deaths were reported in Greater Lincolnshire on Friday.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 286 new cases in Lincolnshire, 65 in North Lincolnshire and 45 in North East Lincolnshire, bringing the total number of cases in North East Lincolnshire to over 5,000 since the start of the pandemic.
It also registered 19 deaths in Lincolnshire, six in North Lincolnshire and two in North East Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals as well as residents in hospitals outside the county. Deaths have now surpassed 800 since the pandemic began in Greater Lincolnshire.
NHS England also reported 13 new hospital deaths on Friday. Seven were at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, five at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and one in Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals. This takes the total number of hospital deaths in the county to 513.
On Friday, national cases increased by 16,022 to 1,589,301, while deaths rose by 521 to 57,551.
Lincolnshire cases up to November 27 (November 26 incomplete).
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire health bosses are in discussions with the government about a new COVID-19 testing centre in Skegness. East Lindsey has the fourth highest infection rate in England. The exact location has not yet been confirmed for the testing centre.
In national news, the UK’s R number has fallen to between 0.9 and 1 according to scientists. This means for every 10 people with coronavirus, they will go on to infect between nine and 10 people, suggesting the rate of infection is slowing nationally.
In Lincolnshire, the infection rate has already dropped on Thursday’s figures.
The region’s infection rates are dropping. | Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire for Friday, November 27
25,427 cases (up 396)
15,770 in Lincolnshire (up 286)
4,619 in North Lincolnshire (up 65)
5,038 in North East Lincolnshire (up 45)
825 deaths (up 27)
541 from Lincolnshire (up 19)
142 from North Lincolnshire (up six)
142 from North East Lincolnshire (up two)
of which 513 hospital deaths (up 13)
271 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up five)
11 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (up one)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
230 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up seven)
1,589,301 UK cases, 57,551 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.
Lincolnshire County Council’s director of public health Professor Derek Ward said the government had used data from the peak of the county’s coronavirus infection between November 17-19 to make its decision, but that the latest figures already showed a massive improvement.
Professor Ward said people followed the rules, despite the peak in cases in the middle of November.
The government uses five key indicators make its decision and Professor Ward was confident the downward trend would continue.
The region’s infection rates are dropping. | Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite
Case detection rates in all age groups
Up to November 24, Lincolnshire’s infection rate was 232, compared to the England average of 209, said Professor Derek Ward.
Between November 17-19, the infection rate peaked at 308 — a difference of 76.
This is the figure that has been used the longest in determining the rate of coronavirus spread.
To improve this, Professor Ward said the usual messages of hands, face and space applied.
“It’s about trying to make sure people don’t catch COVID in the first place,” he said.
“So make sure you wash your hands for 20 seconds, make sure if you’re going into an enclosed space, or indeed, if you feel you’re walking through a busy street, that you’re covering the face, and keep at least two metres at all times from anybody outside your household.”
Case detection rates in the over 60s
For this more specific number, the current figure is 326 per 100,000 population, up from 281 in mid-November.
“The reason that’s important is because we know this is a disease that targets older people,” said Professor Ward.
“Older people are more likely to have a more severe form of the disease and they are therefore more likely to need NHS or hospital treatment, and more likely to die from it.”
In addition to hands, face and space, the key thing was for anyone who has symptoms to get a test “immediately”.
A map of Lincolnshire showing the seven-day coronavirus rates as of November 25. | Map: GOV UK
He said anecdotal evidence showed younger people might not get tested despite mild symptoms, but were then visiting relatives and possibly passing it on.
“Anybody who has any symptoms, no matter how mild, you must immediately isolate, don’t go for one last shop, don’t go for one last visit to your mum or dad.
“You can do a lot of stuff remotely, you can do it online, you can book shopping.
“There’s also support out there for anyone struggling,” he said.
The rate at which cases are rising or falling
This is a new indicator and health bosses did not have specific information to compare with government, however, Professor Ward said “overall our rates are clearly reducing.”
“‘It’s more a direction of travel than an actual figure,” said Professor Ward.
“Between November 17-19 we had the highest rates, and it’s been on a downward trajectory since then.”
He said he was expecting the trend to continue, especially considering the typical two-three week delay for the impact of the latest lockdown.
Positivity rate (positive cases as a percentage of tests taken)
Lincolnshire’s current positivity rate is 8.4%, down from around 12% at the most recent peak.
Around 25,000 tests have been carried out a week since early October, meaning around 2,100 positive tests a week compared to 3,000 previously.
However, health bosses do not want people to stop getting tests, in fact they want more to do so.
The criteria looks at percentage of positive tests rather than number carried out. Hence, if more people get tested and come back negative the positivity rate goes down.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“The key thing that I want the people to do is if they’ve got any symptoms, no matter how mild, isolate themselves, get themselves a test,” said Professor Ward.
“The reason [government] are interested in this is that it’s a good indicator of two things. One, are you doing enough tests and two, are you targeting them?
“It’s really just giving us an indication of are we doing enough tests. If it’s going up, and it’s going up quite quickly, that’s when there’s a concern that we’re seeing an increase in actual community based infections.
“It’s coming down in Lincolnshire.”
Pressure on the NHS
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust bosses have confirmed they currently have 233 COVID patients and are using 74% of their hospital capacity.
The number has been steadily rising over the past month or so — on October 23 it has some 80 patients.
A ULHT spokesperson: “To help keep the pressure off of Lincolnshire’s hospitals so we can continue to deliver the best care to our patients, we would ask the public to please follow the latest government guidelines.”
However, bosses say the key message is that the NHS remains open and that people should continue to attend if they need it or if they have an appoointment booked.
Boston Pilgrim Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital.
The trust has not yet had to close its COVID-free site in Grantham, which other areas have chosen to do.
Professor Ward said there was no intention to discourage people from using their facilities.
“If people need the NHS, it is there for them whether it’s a very life-threatening 999 condition, or whether you just need a bit of advice and support, in which case NHS 111 online is your first port of call.
“Everything is still still open and available. Just consider whether you need it and if you’re not sure, check online or give them a ring.”
In conclusion, what can people do differently to help?
“I’m not sure it is doing anything differently,” said Professor Ward.
“It’s more of the same because we are seeing the benefits of people in Lincolnshire sticking by the rules.
“We just want them to keep doing that — it comes back to the same messages hands, face, space, minimise travelling if you can, work from home and minimise your contact with other people.
“That’s how we’ll bring the rates right down and then hopefully, we’ll be in a different position in the middle of December.”
The new tier allocations will be reviewed every two weeks from December 2.
A woman was found dead by Louth Canal on Friday morning, but the death is not being treated as suspicious.
Lincolnshire Police were called to the canal on Cowslip Lane, along with other emergency services, at 7.36am on November 27, where the body of a woman was found.
The woman is understood to be in her 50s and from the Louth area, according to Grimsby Live.
A police cordon was put in place in the area around Cowslip Lane between Louth and Keddington village.
A Lincolnshire Police spokeswoman said: “The body of a woman was found this morning. There are no suspicious circumstances and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by this story, help is available through the Samaritans charity.
It was originally destined for display in London but it will now be on a 10ft plinth on St Peter’s Hill Green in the Lincolnshire town.
The £100,000 unveiling event, said documents, will be used to promote “inspirational women of South Kesteven” — including the first female police officer Edith Smith and Duke of Wellington friend and advisor Harriet Arbuthnot.
“The statue is expected to attract many visitors to the area which will increase Grantham and South Kesteven’s status as a destination for tourism with the associated benefits that brings,” said the report.
“An increase in visitor numbers to the area will boost the local economy and benefit our local shops and businesses.
“The interest from visitors to the area will support Grantham Museum and enable them to develop their permanent Margaret Thatcher exhibition which already attracts thousands of people each year.”
Sculptor Douglas Jennings applying the finishing touches to the stature when it was created.
The costs of holding “an event of this scale” said officers were “balanced agains the potential benefit of commemorating one of the most famous people to have come from Grantham, and the opportunity for the statue and unveiling event to attract global attention”.
They said not holding an event would be a missed opportunity due to the attention expected.
Once unveiled the council will take on ownership and maintenance of the statue.
The statue was approved in February 2019, despite concerns she would be targeted by “politically-motivated” vandals.
Recommendations at the time said it should be placed on a “sufficiently high plinth” and in easy view, in a bid to avoid it being attacked.
According to reports the statue would be placed on a 3.2 metre high plinth, making it over 6.4 metres tall in total.
| Photo: Getty Images
Margaret Thatcher (nee Roberts) was born and raised in Grantham and attended Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, before gaining a scholarship to study at Oxford University.
Her father Alfred, a grocer, was mayor from 1945 to 1946. She entered the House of Lords in 1992. She was Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.
Plans to build the statue on Parliament Square, in London, were previously rejected by Westminster Council due to the fear of it being targeted by protestors.
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