THE health provider criticised over the “preventable” death of 18-year-old Connor Sparrowhawk may lose a multi-million-pound contract with the county council.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust – which provides inpatient and community services in the county for people with learning disabilities – has faced criticism following Connor’s death.

The Headington teen died in July 2013 at The Slade, a short-term in-patient assessment facility run by Southern Health, after drowning in the bath due to an epileptic fit. As a result, The Slade was closed to admissions in September 2013 and inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) produced a damning report which said his death was “preventable”.

Southern Health was also heavily criticised in a CQC report of all services provided across three counties in February this year.

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Oxfordshire County Council has now said it is looking to cancel its £5.5 million contract with the firm. In a report to the cabinet, it said: “There have been quality and performance concerns about the inpatient service [that Southern Health provides] from commissioners and regulators.

There has also been significant public concern, alongside concern from people with learning disabilities and their families.”

It is likely Southern Health will cease to run services in the county from December 31.

The council is expected to announce the news today as part of its Big Plan – the county’s three-year plan for learning disability services – with Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

Spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council Paul Smith said: “It has long been known that there have been concerns from a number of sources as regards Southern Health’s services. These concerns have been taken into account in proposals.”

The county council plans to give people more control over their care and devolve the “specialist” care provided by Southern Health to community healthcare groups and hospital trusts.

Southern Health has hit back, saying the council’s plans are “very ambitious” for such a short timescale.

Director of mental health and learning disabilities services at the trust, Dr Lesley Stevens, said: “We believe there is a disparity between the vision of the Big Plan and how prepared and ready mainstream services are to support people with learning disabilities.”

But Dr Stevens acknowledged the concerns raised by county councillors. She added: “It is also important to recognise the high levels of very good practice from within our services, as has been highlighted recently in a report from the CQC following a comprehensive inspection of all Southern Health services in October 2014.”

A decision to officially endorse the Big Plan will be made in today’s cabinet meeting at 2pm in County Hall.