The existence of a report detailing abuse allegations at Muckamore Abbey Hospital seven years ago raises serious questions about the culture of the healthcare facility and the management and oversight of staff looking after adults with severe learning disabilities.
The hospital is at the centre of a major police investigation after CCTV footage emerged of alleged abuse of patients in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit in 2017.
To date, 1,500 suspected crimes have been identified while 33 staff have been suspended. Yesterday, a 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with abuse allegations, the latest development in this investigation.
However, while the PSNI is focused on what is the biggest safeguarding probe of its kind, there are wider issues that need to be addressed by the health authorities in Northern Ireland.
A confidential document leaked to this newspaper shows that abuse allegations were first reported by whistleblowers in 2012, in relation to Ennis ward, where vulnerable females with severely complex needs were cared for.
Those who raised concerns were staff working at a private care home who had been sent to Muckamore as part of an induction process for Ennis patients who were being moved to the outside facility.
There is no doubt the nature of the allegations contained in this report are deeply disturbing and similar to the claims of abuse that have surfaced in relation to the current investigation at Muckamore.
As a result of the concerns raised in 2012, a probe was carried out which involved the PSNI. One care assistant was convicted of assault while a second member of staff was cleared of all charges.
What the review does is provide an insight into the culture of Muckamore which in itself raises a number of alarming issues.
There were also recommendations arising from this report in respect of staff management, safeguarding training and the care packages of specific patients.
Families of patients are entitled to ask what measures were put in place following the Ennis ward investigation to ensure the highest standards of care were observed and maintained at Muckamore.
This report, and the troubling issues it raises, will add weight to the calls for a public inquiry to examine the fundamental concerns that families and the wider public have about this hospital.
