Cole-Hamilton demands clear and direct answers on Skye House

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and former youth worker Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has secured a parliamentary statement, which will be heard later today, on what actions are being taken to address allegations of cruelty and abuse at Skye House, Scotland’s largest psychiatric hospital for children.

In February 2025, a BBC investigation found that patients were routinely degraded and abused by nursing staff.

Scottish Liberal Democrats uncovered that no formal inspections of Skye House took place during the period spanning this cruelty.

A report published in February of this year found that “significant concerns” about patient treatment still existed months after the BBC investigation.

Later today, Minister for Social Care and Wellbeing Tom Arthur will make a statement responding to this report.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“It is right that the Scottish Government have listened to my calls for a statement, but families and patients need clear and direct answers about why problems persisted months after they had been exposed.

“It is horrifying that some of Scotland’s most vulnerable children were abused at the very place entrusted with their care.

“As a former youth worker, I cannot understand why there were no formal inspections when that abuse was happening. If there had been, perhaps these children would not have suffered in the way they did.

“When ministers were last quizzed about Skye House, I left with many more questions than I did answers.

“The Scottish Government must explain what went so dreadfully wrong at the hospital. There must be an immediate review of the governance arrangements that oversee mental health services to ensure that the bodies involved have the correct powers to investigate and hold those responsible to account.”