No inspections for seven years at cruelty claim children’s unit

No official regulator had the facility to examine Scotland’s greatest youngsters’s psychiatric hospital throughout a seven-year interval wherein workers have been accused of cruelty to sufferers, it has emerged.

Skye Home in Glasgow was visited between 2017 and 2024 by advisory physique the Psychological Welfare Fee for Scotland.

Nonetheless, it didn’t have any enforcement powers.

The regulator Healthcare Enchancment Scotland was solely requested to begin inspections by the Scottish authorities after dozens of sufferers told a BBC Disclosure investigation {that a} tradition of cruelty existed amongst workers.

Scotland’s two different inpatient adolescent psychological well being services, in Edinburgh and Dundee, have been additionally not investigated by the regulator, the BBC has realized.

The Scottish authorities mentioned it was the duty of well being boards to make sure the safeguarding of care requirements at psychological well being services have been in place.

The Disclosure documentary, which aired in February, heard from sufferers who have been youngsters once they have been admitted to the specialist NHS unit between 2017 and 2024.

They mentioned some nurses known as them “pathetic” and “disgusting”, whereas mocking their suicide makes an attempt.

They mentioned nurses rapidly resorted to pressure, together with bodily restraint and dragging sufferers down corridors, leaving them bruised and traumatised.

In response to the programme, the Scottish authorities mentioned ministers were concerned by the allegations, and that the Psychological Welfare Fee (MWC) had visited the unit seven instances since 2016.

Nonetheless, the fee pressured these visits weren’t thought of to be inspections – and one mother or father of a affected person on the facility described them as “superficial”.

She instructed BBC Scotland Information that folks usually felt their issues have been being dismissed by the fee.

The MWC mentioned it had “few powers to order issues to occur” however as a substitute at all times relied on having “important affect” with well being boards to safe adjustments.

Skye Home, which opened in 2009 at Glasgow’s Stobhill hospital, accepts youngsters aged 12 to 18 who’re thought of to be at disaster level.

Nonetheless, it had by no means been topic to any formal inspections till this yr, as no physique had the facility to take action.

The Scottish authorities relied on there being oversight from the Psychological Welfare Fee and well being board, moderately than inspections from the regulator, Healthcare Enchancment Scotland (HIS).

It had not been requested to examine psychological well being hospitals the way in which it could different companies, similar to services specialising in acute care.

On every of the MWC’s final three visits – in 2022, 2023 and 2024 – it met seven sufferers within the 24-bed facility, and reviewed the case notes of others.

Nonetheless, many complaints raised by sufferers with Disclosure – together with over-use of medicine and sedative injections, being made to scrub up their very own blood from self-harming and being aggressively restrained by workers – don’t characteristic within the fee’s stories.

Kirsten, whose daughter was a affected person at Skye Home, instructed BBC Scotland Information she spoke to the MWC throughout a pre-announced go to.

She mentioned: “I expressed my issues about lack of information [from staff] relating to autism. I obtained no suggestions.

“From my very own expertise, dad and mom’ issues and opinions have been dismissed as a consequence of our lack of medical data.

“From what I can see these inspections are tickbox workouts, superficial and of little worth.”

She mentioned she had seen administration fill the backyard with bean luggage and video games once they knew guests have been coming.

“The younger individuals did not get to make use of them as a consequence of lack of workers, so it was only for present,” she mentioned.

The MWC mentioned it could not touch upon any named or identifiable instances however anybody with issues ought to contact the fee instantly.

NHS Larger Glasgow and Clyde launched two inquiries into the allegations uncovered by the BBC’s investigation.

A spokesperson mentioned there had been a latest joint go to to Skye Home from HIS and the MWC and the well being board was awaiting suggestions.

NHS Larger Glasgow and Clyde declined to offer any additional particulars about suggestions it had carried out.

In September 2018, the well being board was fined £70,000 over the “foreseeable” death of a teenage girl at Skye Home 5 years earlier.

In February this yr, Psychological Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd instructed the Scottish Parliament she had requested visits by Healthcare Enchancment Scotland in response to the Disclosure programme.

Scottish Liberal Democrat chief Alex Cole-Hamilton described the shortage of inspections as an “absolute scandal”.

He mentioned: “Ministers ought to assessment the governance preparations that oversee psychological well being companies on this nation and make sure that the our bodies concerned have the appropriate powers to analyze and maintain companies to account for the way they deal with younger individuals.

“We can not permit extra children to fall by way of the cracks.”

Healthcare Enchancment Scotland mentioned it had been commissioned by the Scottish authorities to start inspections of Scotland’s in-patient youngster and adolescent psychological well being companies (CAMHS) in February.

“This was to offer additional unbiased assurance within the type of inspections and visits with the Psychological Welfare Fee,” it mentioned.

“We plan to examine the three regional companies, in addition to the nationwide facility.

“Our inspection and go to to Skye Home is already beneath manner and we’ll publish our report on the earliest alternative.”

A Scottish authorities spokesperson mentioned ministers had been clear about their concern relating to the Skye Home allegations.

“Though there have been no formal inspections of Skye Home between 2017 and 2024, the Psychological Welfare Fee has offered common assurance and visited the unit seven instances since 2016, most lately in March 2024,” it mentioned.

“We count on NHS boards to behave on any suggestions made.

“In the end it’s the duty of the well being board, on this case NHS Larger Glasgow and Clyde, to make sure that they’ve the suitable medical governance and assurance processes in place to make sure efficient care.”