Muckamore patient was left 'haunted' by experience

A former patient at Muckamore Abbey Hospital is haunted by her experience, a public Inquiry into the abuse of vulnerable patients has been told.

The woman, 34, whose first name is Amanda, was admitted to the hospital near Antrim in her late teens after a period of self harming.

She had also been treated for frequent epileptic seizures since childhood.

Her mother, Marie, told the inquiry Amanda suffered "continual injuries" at Muckamore.

The proceedings also heard she was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was six years of age and suffered "a traumatic event" in her childhood.

The details of this were not provided to Wednesday's hearing.

During her testimony, the woman's mother alleged her daughter suffered assaults and abuse at the hospital and was "really afraid" during her time there.

On one occasion Amanda "had the worst black eye I had ever seen," she added.

Commenting on visits to see her daughter, Marie said she found Muckamore Abbey Hospital "a horrible place".

She also told the inquiry that Amanda "has nothing good to say" about her time there.

Families arriving for the start of the public hearings on 6 June

Marie went on to tell the inquiry that she hoped Amanda, who is now being cared for in independent living, will be well enough to give her own evidence before the inquiry concludes.

Separately, a relative of a man with down syndrome said his family felt "pushed, bullied and intimidated" before he was sent to Muckamore for assessment.

The man, who has since died, was a patient there for a time in 1987 and again in 2002.

He was represented at the inquiry by his brother in law.

Neither the patient not the witness were identified by their names at the inquiry.

The witness said the family believed that their relative was being treated with medication "not appropriate to his needs".

He added that it was "our instinct to get him out of there asap".

The Department of Health has previously told the inquiry it apologised for the "appalling behaviours" identified at Muckamore.

Arrests

To date, police have arrested 34 people and four other people have been interviewed voluntarily under caution.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was now the largest criminal safeguarding investigation of its kind in the UK.

Thirty-eight people have been reported to the Public Prosecution Service.

Separately, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has confirmed that 83 members of staff have been suspended and a further 68 have been placed on a form of supervision and training.

The action by the trust followed the viewing of CCTV from the hospital, relating to a period of months in 2017.

However, the trust has indicated that it does not seek to suggest that 2017 was the only time during the history of Muckamore Abbey Hospital when staff abused vulnerable patients in their care.

The trust has also issued an "unreserved and unequivocal apology" to all those patients who suffered abuse at the hospital and to their families.