The family of a man with Down’s Syndrome, who passed away due to allegedly being deprived of food for nine days while receiving care from the NHS, has shared their distressing experience.
Adrian Poulton, aged 56, was hospitalized at Poole Hospital in Dorset in September 2021 following a fall at his care facility that resulted in a broken hip. During his hospitalization, medical staff mistakenly labeled him as “nil by mouth,” leading to him not receiving any sustenance for nine days. Mr. Poulton sadly passed away on September 28, 2021, just a fortnight after his admission.
His father, Derek Poulton, expressed his shock, stating, “Not being medical, we just naturally thought he was having nutrition, a feed. But as it turns out, they were starving him.”
By the time his family realized the situation, Mr. Poulton’s health had deteriorated beyond recovery.
An internal inquiry at the hospital confirmed that the lack of nutrition significantly contributed to Mr. Poulton’s demise. The investigation recommended enhanced training within the Trust regarding specialized care for patients with learning disabilities.
Dr. Peter Wilson, Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Dorset, extended condolences to Mr. Poulton’s family, acknowledging the shortcomings that led to his passing. He mentioned that corrective actions had been taken following a thorough review, with the findings shared with the family.
A report by the NHS-funded Learning from Lives and Deaths review in September 2025 revealed distressing statistics indicating that individuals with learning disabilities are passing away nearly two decades earlier on average compared to the general population, with a considerable portion of these deaths considered preventable.
Mencap, a learning disability charity, alongside a group of 16 organizations and activists, has urgently petitioned Health Secretary Wes Streeting for immediate intervention to address the declining state of the Learning Disability Nursing workforce.
The letter highlights the alarming decline in the number of Learning Disability Nurses and emphasizes the critical need for action to prevent a collapse in the profession.
The unfortunate death of Adrian Poulton echoes similar tragedies, like that of Oliver McGowan, an 18-year-old with autism and epilepsy, who died in an NHS hospital in 2016 due to medical negligence. Subsequent reviews underscored the lack of awareness and understanding of Oliver’s condition among the hospital staff, suggesting that his death could have been avoided.
Despite the launch of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training initiative in 2022, aimed at enhancing training for health and social care workers, ITV News reports that NHS England has fallen short of its training targets in most regions.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed concern over the disparities in care and life expectancy for individuals with learning disabilities, stressing the government’s commitment to accountability and improvement in their care.
An NHS England spokesperson highlighted the extensive rollout of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training program and ongoing efforts to ensure staff receive essential training, with a focus on data collection and support to meet training targets effectively.