Northern Ireland

Muckamore Abbey Hospital public inquiry gets underway

The public inquiry into alleged abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Antrim due to get underway. Picture by Mal McCann.
The public inquiry into alleged abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Antrim due to get underway. Picture by Mal McCann. The public inquiry into alleged abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Antrim due to get underway. Picture by Mal McCann.

A PUBLIC inquiry into the alleged abuse of patients at Muckamore Abbey Hospital is set to gets underway today.

The inquiry into allegations of physical and mental abuse of patients at the Antrim hospital was announced last month by Health Minister Robin Swann.

A criminal investigation into allegations made at the hospital is also ongoing, with more than 20 arrests to date and seven people facing prosecution.

The landmark inquiry follows a campaign by families of Muckamore Abbey patients who complained of a lack of transparency within the health service when asking about abuse allegations.

The allegations involving the hospital, which is run by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, first emerged in 2018. In August 2020 a review of leadership and governance at the facility was published by the Department of Health, with Mr Swann saying the findings showed a "sustained failure of care".

Claire McKeegan of Phoenix Law, the firm representing families, said it was a "significant day" for those who have been campaigning for the truth.

"It’s time for the truth of what happened at Muckamore Abbey Hospital to out. We will be meeting the Inquiry Chair, Mr Tom Kark QC this week to outline our expectations. Only when this Inquiry gets to the full truth of what occurred behind the closed doors of Muckamore, and the trust and Department implement the changes needed, can the families begin to hope that their loved ones are safe going forward."

Member of campaign group Action for Muckamore, Aaron Brown welcomed the inquiry "finally getting underway".

He added: "We expect it to deliver recommendations and for those recommendations to be implemented. The worst thing would be for any subsequent findings to gather dust on a Stormont shelf. Radical reform is required at Muckamore. But there must also be accountability.

"Those who oversaw a system that allowed such harm to be done should not be let hide behind process or avoid taking responsibility."

Last week one panel member Dr Peter Carter withdrew ahead of the inquiry beginning its work.

The health minister said his former role as chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) meant there was a possible conflict of interest.

He will be replaced by patient safety expert Dr Elaine Maxwell.