Northern Ireland

Resettlement of Muckamore patients stalled by pandemic as families continue to push for public inquiry

Karen Brown's son Aaron was a patient at Muckamore Abbey Hospital and allegedly suffered more than 100 incidents of abuse. She is pictured with his toys. Aaron has been resettled in the community prior to the lockdown, However, the pandemic has affected the resettlement of some Muckamore patients. Picture by Hugh Russell.
Karen Brown's son Aaron was a patient at Muckamore Abbey Hospital and allegedly suffered more than 100 incidents of abuse. She is pictured with his toys. Aaron has been resettled in the community prior to the lockdown, However, the pandemic has affect Karen Brown's son Aaron was a patient at Muckamore Abbey Hospital and allegedly suffered more than 100 incidents of abuse. She is pictured with his toys. Aaron has been resettled in the community prior to the lockdown, However, the pandemic has affected the resettlement of some Muckamore patients. Picture by Hugh Russell.

RESETTLEMENT of vulnerable patients from Muckamore Abbey Hospital into the community has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Irish News has learned that 48 patients remain in the Co Antrim facility, which is at the centre of an unprecedented police investigation into alleged abuse.

A "small number" of the 48 had been due to leave the hospital but cannot due to lockdown restrictions.

Belfast health trust officials confirmed the move, saying it had been forced to take a "number of decisions to minimise the risk of the virus" which they say are "regrettable but necessary steps".

"We appreciate one impact of these decisions has been disruption to some of our resettlement work," a spokesman said.

"Resettlement planning for a small number of patients has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic as part of a range of measures to mitigate risk, however we continue to liaise with families and other agencies where we can to ensure that as many aspects of the preparatory work can continue."

Allegations of mental and physical abuse of patients by staff led to pledges by Department of Health permanent secretary Richard Pengelly in December 2018 that the resettlement of Muckamore patients deemed suitable for discharge would be completed within a year.

However, health minister Robin Swann conceded two months ago this target had been "missed".

The hospital cares for adults with severe learning disabilities.

To date, seven of its former nursing staff have been arrested in connection with the PSNI probe, which is the biggest adult safeguarding investigation of its kind.

Detectives revealed last year they had discovered 1,500 suspected crimes in single Muckamore ward after viewing CCTV footage of alleged physical and mental abuse of patients.

The parents of a non-verbal patient whose case sparked the probe told the Irish News their son, Aaron (23), had been successfully resettled prior to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Karen Brown from Dundonald, who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the wake of the revelations about her son allegedly suffering more than 100 incidents of "mistreatment", said the impact of him being moved out of Muckamore was "transformative".

"Aaron's demeanour has completely changed, he looks so happy and that makes us happy. He has a life, a good quality of life after all that he has been through. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for the first time," she said.

"My son is 23 but has the mind of a toddler. The longest I've gone without seeing him is a few days and we would always have him home for a few days. Due to the lockdown I haven't seen him for over three weeks and I miss him dearly. But I know he is safe in his new home, we are given updates daily and he out in a sensory garden planting today."

Glynn Brown said he and his wife along with the other families were determined to push for a public inquiry into the scandal and called on the health minister to act.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Mr Swann said he would make an announcement into setting up a "process" to "deliver answers on what went wrong at Muckamore".

Mr Brown said while he accepted there were "exceptional circumstances" in relation to the pandemic, he expected some clarity from the minister on the issue given that he had "previously backed calls for a full public inquiry last summer when he was the Ulster Unionist party leader".