Northern Ireland

Calls mount for public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore hospital after latest revelations

There have been calls for a public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. Picture by Mal McCann
There have been calls for a public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. Picture by Mal McCann There have been calls for a public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. Picture by Mal McCann

CALLS are mounting for a public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital after the latest revelations that CCTV footage has identified 1,500 crimes in just one ward.

The Irish News yesterday revealed the scale of the scandal as police confirmed it was the "largest adult safeguarding case" of its kind undertaken by the PSNI.

The detective heading up the investigation into allegations of physical and mental abuse of vulnerable patients said they are now entering a "crucial" stage, with viewing of hundreds of thousands of hours of footage of the ward which sparked the probe almost concluded - and criminal interviews imminent.

DUP MP Gavin Robinson last night reiterated a call for a public inquiry and said he had asked for a meeting with Secretary of State Julian Smith.

He said he fully supported the police investigation but "every element of this horror story must be reviewed".

Read More

  • North's biggest nursing union warns of staffing concerns at Muckamore Abbey Hospital
  • Analysis: Insight into massive police investigation will strengthen calls for Muckamore public inquiry
  • Muckamore Abbey Hospital: 1,500 crimes identified in just one ward

"Every system. Every decision. We must ensure that the flawed systems which allowed this abuse to continue are changed," he said.

"The police investigation will hold people accountable for their criminal actions but it will not make recommendations to fix the system. The criminal investigation alone will not safeguard vulnerable people in the future.

"There must be a full open public inquiry so that abuses like this can be guarded against ever happening again."

Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew also said the "sheer scale of wrongdoing at Muckamore Abbey Hospital reiterates the need for investigations to be thorough and robust".

"Given the shocking scale of these findings, it's important the PSNI pursue all lines of inquiry as a part of the investigation," he said.

"It is important for affected patients and their families we get to the truth of what happened but it is also vital in ensuring it is not allowed to happen again."

Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw also said the need for a public inquiry was "now urgent".

"The sheer scale of the abuse and criminal activity recorded will understandably shake public confidence not just in this facility, but in residential health and social care provision more generally," she said.

"It should be emphasised thousands of people work tirelessly across health and social care in Northern Ireland to provide first-class care, including at Muckamore, but what has been revealed by the police investigation has been nothing short of appalling.

"Therefore, there can now be no question a full public inquiry is required urgently, called for by the secretary of state if necessary."