Vulnerable adults suffered broken bones and severe neglect in Northern Irish hospital at centre of police investigation

An inquiry into the abuse of vulnerable adults at Muckamore Abbey hospital in Northern Ireland has found “mistreatment became a normality” and patients suffered black eyes, broken bones and severe neglect.

The hospital is at the centre of the UK’s largest police investigation into the alleged abuse of vulnerable adults, with 124 people having been referred by police for prosecution.

The escalation of violence between patients and the increased use of seclusion of patients from 2011 onwards was a warning sign and precursor to the mistreatment of patients by staff.

There were chronic shortages of staff that meant some essential care was not given and patients’ ability to cope with daily living diminished.

A policy shift, beginning in 2001, to move all patients with learning disabilities and autism from hospital into community-based care was beset with failure and led to heightened distress and many readmissions.

A lack of activities for patients often led to “frustration, boredom and dysregulated behaviour” and Muckamore became “more functional and less homely” as time went on.

There was a “closed culture” among staff that discouraged reporting of bad behaviour and many families said they were frightened to complain in case it affected the care their relatives received.

Exclusive: Ex-minister accuses Labour of ‘overcautiousness’ and says his proposal was cut from manifesto

Wes Streeting has said his plan to ban “private equity sharks” from the social care sector was removed from the Labour manifesto, as he accused the government of “overcautiousness” in reforming the industry.

In a Fabian Society report on how to create a national care service, Streeting said overhauling social care was “one of the defining challenges of our age” but an “absence of good political leadership” was holding back change.