THE brother of an Oxford teenager who died in the care of Southern Health has accused it of "childishness, deceitfulness and a lack of accountability" as pressure grows on its embattled bosses.

Tom Ryan, whose sibling Connor Sparrowhawk drowned in a bath during an epileptic fit, said in a blog online that the NHS mental health trust had treated his family "as a problem that they need to be rid of, instead of engaging with us and actually making a better care system".

Connor, 18, who had learning disabilities and autism, was at a care unit in Headington during 2013 when he died. A coroner last year ruled his death was "preventable".

In an interview with the Oxford Mail, 16-year-old Tom said it was now "obvious we need a change in leadership" at Southern Health, after a damning watchdog report said the trust failed to address concerns about patient safety despite repeated warnings.

He added: "It is terrible how preventable Connor's death was and how it would simply not have happened to someone who did not have a learning disability."

Adding that he still "misses Connor every single day", Tom said: "We cannot bring him back, but we want to make sure that what happened can never happen to anyone else.

"I want to stand up and campaign until there is change."

His comments come as the trust's council of governors prepares to meet for the first time since a probe by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) claimed that bosses were to blame for the lack of action taken to address concerns.

It prompted the resignations of chairman Mike Petter and governor Mark Aspinall, with regulator NHS Improvement this month parachuting in new chairman Tim Smart to put the organisation back on track.

But pressure is growing on chief executive Katrina Percy to also resign, after both of Oxford's MPs and the Shadow Health Secretary said the public could no longer have confidence in her leadership.

The Oxford Mail has learned Ms Percy and other top directors will face a vote of no confidence at a meeting on Tuesday – but the discussion and vote will be held behind closed doors.

The decision has been criticised by Peter Bell, the governor behind the resolution, who wrote this week that he was "simply not convinced" by the legal case for shutting the public out.

On the meeting's agenda, Southern Health says the exclusion is needed due to "the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, publicity of which would be prejudicial to the public interest".

Meanwhile, NHS Improvement says it is still considering what further action it will take.

The probe by the CQC was ordered following a review which found the trust had failed to investigate hundreds of patient deaths.

Tim Smart, Interim Chairman of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Every decision I take is in the interests of the quality of care provided by this Trust. I believe in transparency and openness, and I think there is value in holding meetings in public.

“There are occasions, however, when we will need to discuss matters about individuals, such as existing employees or patients. When something relates to an individual, a level of confidentiality must be applied.

“The decision to hold part of the Extraordinary Council of Governors meeting in private was taken for this reason, and was also taken with the advice of the Lead Governor.  The majority of the meeting will be in public.”