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A patient transferred from Muckamore Abbey Hospital to another care facility recently experienced mistreatment, according to the campaign group Action for Muckamore. The details of the case emerged only after CCTV footage from the unnamed institution was reviewed, resulting in the dismissal of 12 staff members and the prosecution of one individual. This incident was brought before the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Health Committee, where members of the group provided testimony related to proposed legislation aimed at improving protections for vulnerable adults.
The family of the affected patient, whose identity and location remain confidential, had initially reported concerns to the facility’s management but were dismissed and not taken seriously. Glynn Brown, representing Action for Muckamore, informed MLAs that despite repeated complaints, the management regarded the parents’ allegations as unfounded and labeled them a “problem family,” while defending their staff. It was only when the facility reviewed recorded CCTV footage that evidence of abuse came to light, leading to the termination and legal action against staff involved.
During the committee hearing, Brown highlighted the ongoing nature of problems that echo the earlier “Muckamore scandal” from eight years prior, where families’ worries about the welfare of their relatives were routinely ignored. He described the experience as a reflection of a safeguarding system that fundamentally fails to enforce its own standards. Brown expressed support for the Adult Protection Bill, currently under consideration, but stressed that it requires significant strengthening in key areas such as the use of monitoring technology, organizational culture, advocacy support, and robust investigation procedures combined with effective oversight. He emphasized that the underlying issue is not a lack of policy but rather a deficit in enforcement and accountability mechanisms.
Catherine Fox, also speaking for Action for Muckamore, underscored the importance of embedding a strong safeguarding culture within the proposed law. She urged that the legislation must ensure that poor institutional culture is eradicated and that families’ voices are heard while supporting staff who uphold standards of care. The group’s intervention came as a public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, described as the UK’s largest criminal adult safeguarding case, prepares to deliver its final report. The hospital’s closure, initially planned for June 2024, has been postponed due to delays in securing appropriate alternative placements for the remaining patients. Meanwhile, a separate police investigation has been ongoing since 2017 following earlier allegations of mistreatment
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