Muckamore: Hospital conditions 'not fit for an animal', family says

A public inquiry is hearing evidence about claims patients were abused at the hospital

The sister of a former Muckamore Abbey Hospital (MAH) patient has said his living conditions were "not fit for an animal".

Jennifer's brother Matthew, who has severe learning difficulties, was admitted in 2005, at the age of 11.

A public inquiry is hearing evidence about the abuse of patients at the facility, near Antrim.

The inquiry heard that Matthew spent three years living in a "separate pod" at the hospital until March 2023.

'Solitary confinement'

His mother Mary, who also gave evidence, described it as "more like solitary confinement than a living environment".

She described how Matthew was moved into the pod on the Cranfield two ward after staff said several safeguarding issues had been raised against her son.

But his sister, Jennifer, said the reasons for his move were not made completely clear.

She said there were no tables or chairs in the dining room of the pod and that her brother had to eat his meals in his bedroom in a desk space that was part of a wardrobe.

She added the pod had a "matchbox-sized hole in the window of a locked door" to look through.

Jennifer said the walls were bare and there were no skirting boards or door frames in certain rooms.

'Not fit for an animal'

The inquiry heard how her family only became aware of his living conditions in January 2022 following the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.

"I continually made my views regarding my thoughts on the pod known to senior management describing it as a prison, seclusion and not fit for an animal never mind a human being."

Jennifer said in late summer 2022 her family became aware there was no CCTV in the pod but the hospital assured them it was "in operation in all areas" from March 2017.

She said her family would have to phone ahead before visiting Matthew and wait "anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes" to get in.

Relatives of patients at Muckamore Abbey Hospital have given evidence to the public inquiry

"Most of the time when visiting Matthew he was poorly dressed, his personal hygiene was clearly not being maintained and he was usually wearing incontinence pads."

She said her family raised concerns and asked for emergency meetings but they "were not being listened to or taken seriously".

Jennifer also said the lack of hygiene support provided to her brother was "shameful".

She added it became evident that incontinence pads were being used on her brother, but that he was not incontinent prior to being admitted.

"I believe it's down to the laziness of some staff that he has ended up in incontinence pads," she added.

She also said she believed Matthew had been "over medicated".

"In my view his medication regime in MAH was chemical abuse and had significantly contributed to his deterioration," Jennifer said.

Ongoing delays

Jennifer said she understood several safeguarding incidents involving Matthew were never investigated as safeguarding and were not "properly explained".

The inquiry heard how Matthew's family initiated judicial review proceedings against the Northern Trust because of ongoing delays in securing a resettlement placement for him at a supported living facility in Mallusk.

Jennifer said the placement was first identified in June 2020 but there were "significant delays".

She said following the judicial review case his resettlement was due to start in October 2022 and was expected to take six to 12 weeks, but Matthew's transition did not begin until May 2023.

On 1 June 2023 he was offered an overnight stay at Mallusk, where he has been living since.

Jennifer told the inquiry the transition had been "extremely rushed - due to financial factors".

She added her family had been left "heartbroken" because the family believed Matthew "would be helped [at Muckamore], only to find that in fact he has been significantly hurt and damaged by his experience".