The abuse and mistreatment of vulnerable adults at a specialist hospital has been uncovered by the BBC’s Panorama programme.
Undercover BBC filming shows staff intimidating, mocking and restraining patients with learning disabilities and autism at Whorlton Hall, County Durham.
Experts said the culture was “deviant” at the privately-run NHS unit with evidence of “psychological torture”.
A police investigation has been launched and 16 staff suspended.
The 17-bed hospital is one of scores of such units in England that provide care for just below 2,300 adults with learning disabilities and autism.
Many are detained under the Mental Health Act.
Glynis Murphy, professor of clinical psychology and disability at Kent University’s Tizard Centre, said much of what Panorama had found was the “absolute antithesis” of good care.
“It is obviously a very deviant culture.”
Cygnet, the firm which runs the unit, said it was “shocked and deeply saddened”.
The company only took over the running of the centre last year and said it was “co-operating fully” with the police investigation.
The patients are being transferred to other services, Cygnet said.
Swearing and mental torture – what has been uncovered
Image caption Staff were filmed using abusive language about patients
The BBC reporter, Olivia Davies, worked shifts for two months undercover between December and February.
She filmed a number of shocking scenes where staff can be heard using offensive language to describe patients, while another calls the hospital a “house of mongs”.
In another case, a patient is told by her care worker that her family are “poison”.
Two male staff members single out a female patient for particular abuse.
Aware that she is scared of men, they tell her, in an effort to keep her quiet, that her room will be inundated with men.
They call this “pressing the man button”, something which causes her great distress.
This was described a psychological torture by Prof Murphy.
What about violence?
There was certainly the threat of violence. On one occasion, a male care worker threatens to “deck” a patient, while another patient is told they will be “put through the floor”.
Six care workers also told the undercover reporter that they have deliberately hurt patients – including one who describes banging a patient’s head against the floor, and another who speaks about flooring a patient with an outstretched arm, something he called “clotheslining”.
The reporter did witness a number of incidents of physical restraint, which should only be used to prevent a patient harming themselves or others.
In one episode of restraint, a patient was held on the ground for nearly 10 minutes with one member of staff restraining him, while handing out chewing gum to colleagues.
Prof Andrew McDonnell, an expert in autism at Birmingham City University, who develops training to reduce the use of restraint, said it was a “cruel punishment”.
“Restraint should be momentary. It should be short. It should be with as few staff as possible, without an audience.”
What about regulation?
Services for people with learning disabilities are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The CQC gave Whorlton Hall a good rating after inspecting it in 2017.
It said that since then, it had warned the hospital about staff training, long hours and excessive use of agency staff.
Dr Paul Lelliott, deputy chief inspector of hospitals at the CQC, told Panorama: “On this occasion it is quite clear that we did not pick up the abuse that was happening at Whorlton Hall.
“All I can do is apologise deeply to the people concerned.”
The Department for Health and Social Care said it treated allegations of abuse with the “utmost seriousness”, but could not comment any further because of the police investigation.
After that programme, the then prime minister, David Cameron, promised the mistreatment of patients would never happen again.
Winterbourne View was shut down and the government committed to closing other specialist hospitals too, saying care should be provided in the community.
Bed numbers have been reduced – from 3,400 to below 2,300 since 2012 in England – but that falls short of the government’s target to get it down to below 1,700 by March this year.
The official investigation in the Winterbourne View case also made warnings about the excessive use of restraint.
But figures show “restrictive practices” have become more common – the use of seclusion and restraint has nearly doubled in the past two years, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Panorama.
“It is obviously a very deviant culture.” a bit like the DWP then ? although they go unpunished when someone dies’ no police involved there
“It is obviously a very deviant culture. “a bit like the DWP then’ no police involved there when a death comes up from their negligence
No change there then.
Standard…
Criminal Justice Act 1988 – Torture
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/33/part/XI/crossheading/torture
(“A person who commits the offence of torture shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life.”)
Misconduct in Public Office –
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/
(“It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.”)
(Meaning of Public Function) Human Rights Act 1998 –
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmbills/045/08045.i-i.html
Are these sick criminal Nonce fuckers in Prison yet?
Cygnet Health Care –
https://www.cygnethealth.co.uk/about/our-leadership-team/
“Dr” Tony Romero – Cygnet Chief Executive Officer

David Wilmott – Director of Nursing

Nick Ruffley – Managing Director, Healthcare Division

Peter Smith – Managing Director, Social Care Division

“Dr”. Salim Matta – Regional Medical Director, North Region

“Dr”. Srinivas Lanka – Regional Medical Director, Midlands Region

“Dr”. Johannes (Jon) Van Niekerk Regional Medical Director, South Region

Jenny Gibson – HR Director

Mark Ground – Chief Financial Officer

Mike McQuaid – Chief Operating Officer

Lee Hammon – Chief Commercial Officer

Justin De Vally – Chief Information Officer

David Ewing – IT Director

Vicky McNally – Corporate Governance Director

Anthony Coleman – Finance Director

Sam Nicholls – Property Director

“The company only took over the running of the centre last year and said it was “co-operating fully” with the police investigation.”
Yeah Right –
Serious Crime Act 2007 – Encouraging or Assisting Crime –
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/27/part/2
Accessories and Abettors Act 1861 –
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/24-25/94/crossheading/as-to-abettors-in-misdemeanors
Assisting an Offender – section 4(1) Criminal Law Act 1967 –
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1967/58/section/4
Concealing an Arrestable Offence: s.5 Criminal Law Act 1967 –
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1967/58/section/5
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