No formal inspections at largest kids’ psychiatric hospital during cruelty allegations
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has called it an “absolute scandal” that there were no formal inspections at Scotland’s largest psychiatric hospital for children, Skye House, during a period where patient cruelty is alleged to have taken place.
The Scottish Government has now admitted that “there have been no formal inspections of Skye House between 2017 and 2024”.
It comes after the Scottish Government admitted that the Mental Welfare Commission, which visited Skye House on seven occasions, lacks the powers to conduct inspections or audits of services, while the body with the powers to inspect, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, never visited the facility.
In February, a BBC Disclosure documentary uncovered allegations of a culture of cruelty at Skye House between 2017-2024. Former patients describe being excessively medicated and sedated while at the facility and recall nursing staff quickly resorting to force, with some labelling patients as ‘disgusting’ and mocking their suicide attempts. The documentary noted that the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) visited the facility on seven occasions.
Following the airing of the documentary, Mr Cole-Hamilton wrote to the Scottish Government, asking them to clarify the powers of the MWC.
On their website, The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWC) claim the body "promotes the welfare of individuals with mental illness, learning disability or related conditions. It investigates cases where it appears that there may be ill-treatment, deficiency in care and treatment or improper detention of any such person. Following investigations, it can make and follow up recommendations."
In her reply, however, the Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Maree Todd, said that representatives of this body “do not carry out inspections or audits of services and they do not have enforcement powers.”
The Minister went on to say that the body with the powers to inspect Skye House is Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). Healthcare Improvement Scotland, however, never attended the facility during this period. Maree Todd also states that this body, “does not currently regularly inspect children and young people’s mental health services”.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said:
“This is an absolute scandal. How on earth did the Scottish Government allow for there to be no inspections at the country’s largest psychiatric hospital for children?
"It has taken months of persistence to get the government to admit that the body that attended this facility had no enforcement powers and the body that did never visited.
"This facility looked after extremely vulnerable young people facing serious crises. Their families trusted that the system would keep their children safe. But we now know it was a system without a safety net; it was a system that exposed their children to abuse, cruelty and degradation.
“It is shocking that ministers have only now introduced joint visits to inpatient adolescent units which will include the body with the powers to inspect. Sadly, I fear it has come too little, too late for the children and families who have already suffered so much at the hands of this government's catastrophic failing.
"Ministers should review the governance arrangements that oversee mental health services in this country and ensure that the bodies involved have the right powers to investigate and hold services to account for how they treat young people. We cannot allow more kids to fall through the cracks."