Inquiry into abuse at Muckamore to publish its findings

By Press Association Reporters

A public inquiry examining allegations of the abuse of vulnerable patients at Muckamore Abbey Hospital is to publish its report on Thursday.

Muckamore Abbey, run by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, was a hospital in Co Antrim for adults with severe learning disabilities and mental health needs.

The inquiry examined allegations of abuse of patients at the facility.

The hospital has also been at the centre of the UK’s largest-ever police investigation into the alleged abuse of vulnerable adults and a number of prosecutions are continuing.

The public inquiry was established by former health minister Robin Swann and began hearing witness evidence in June 2022.

The inquiry heard oral evidence from 181 witnesses and 333 statements have been considered.

Glynn Brown, whose son Aaron had been a patient at the hospital and who previously raised the alarm about the facility, was among those who attended the inquiry.

Groups including the Society of Parents and Friends of Muckamore Abbey and Action For Muckamore, as well as the department of health, Belfast Health Trust, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority and the police, gave statements to the inquiry.

Chairman Tom Kark said it was “highly unusual” for a public inquiry to take place simultaneously with a large police investigation and criminal trial proceedings.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was entered with the police and the Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland to ensure the inquiry did not interfere with the criminal proceedings.

The inquiry is expected to have submitted its final report to Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.

The hospital, which first opened in 1949, was due to close in June 2024 but this was delayed as some patients had not found alternative accommodation.