Hospital abuser David Fuller 'could've been stopped 15 years earlier'
A report has seriously criticised the response of a Kent NHS trust
Last updated 28th Nov 2023
An electrical worker who abused the bodies of more than 100 women and girls in mortuaries at two Kent hospitals could've been stopped 15 years earlier, according to an inquiry.
David Fuller carried out the offences on victims aged between 9 and 100 while working at the now-closed Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells, and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, between 2005 and 2020.
The 69-year-old of Heathfield in East Sussex was convicted of the offences in December 2021, along with the murders of 25-year-old Wendy Knell and 20-year-old Caroline Pierce in Tunbridge Wells in 1987.
Fuller was given a whole-life order and will serve his sentence without the possibility of parole.
The Government launched an independent inquiry in 2021 to investigate how Fuller was able to carry out his crimes undetected, with the first phase of the probe looking at his employer, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
The inquiry's chair, Sir Jonathan Michael, said there had been "missed opportunities" to stop Fuller.
"Failures of management, of governance, of regulation, failure to follow standard policies and procedures, together with a persistent lack of curiosity, all contributed to the creation of the environment in which he was able to offend, and to do so for 15 years without ever being suspected or caught.
"Over the years, there were missed opportunities to question Fuller's working practices.
"Had his colleagues, managers and senior leaders been more curious, it is likely that he would have had less opportunity to offend."
Explaining his findings at a press conference in London, Sir Jonathan said that staff at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust had been aware of problems within the mortuary as early as 2008, but that there was 'little action' of action being taken to sort these.
"He routinely worked beyond his contracted hours, undertaking tasks in the mortuary that were not necessary or which should not have been carried out by someone with his chronic back problems. This was never properly questioned.
"The fact that the trust was apparently improving its overall performance does not in any way excuse the failings that allowed Fuller to offend.
"In identifying such serious failings, it's clear to me that there is the question of who should be held responsible."
The report has made 17 recommendations with the aim of preventing similar atrocities, such as advising that maintenance staff undertake tasks in the mortuary in pairs.
The report also recommends non-mortuary staff and contractors should always be "accompanied by another staff member when they visit the mortuary".
It is also calling on the the trust board to "review its governance structures to make sure that the board has greater oversight".
Responding to the inquiry's report, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust chief executive Miles Scott said the findings contain "important lessons for us".
He said: "It makes 16 recommendations for the trust including the installation of further CCTV cameras, additional swipe card access on doors and regular auditing of mortuary access records.
"The vast majority of these recommendations have already been actioned in the period since Fuller's arrest and we will be implementing the remaining recommendations as quickly as possible.
"The inquiry team told us if they came across any conduct of concern, such as potential disciplinary offences or breaches of professional codes of conduct, they would tell us.
"We have received no such notification but we will be studying the report carefully to make our own assessment."
Health minister Maria Caulfield apologised on behalf of the Government, saying in a written statement to Parliament that the report made for 'harrowing reading'.
"I want to profoundly apologise on behalf of the Government and the NHS, and commit that lessons will be learnt.
"We fully welcome the report and will ensure that there is a full response to the recommendations in spring 2024, and that lessons are learned across the wider NHS so that no family has to go through this experience again.
"A lot of work has already been done to review mortuary safety since these crimes were first revealed.
"However, we should not be complacent. It is important that the whole system remains alert and accountable at all levels, and that any concerns are swiftly identified and escalated through the appropriate governance processes."
A second part of the inquiry was launched in July to review how people who have died are cared for around the country, focusing on safeguarding in private mortuaries, private ambulances and funeral directors.
The findings of this part of the inquiry are expected in 2024.