Nurses at psychiatric unit called teens 'pathetic'

Former patients at Scotland's biggest children's psychiatric hospital have spoken out about a culture of cruelty among nursing staff.

Patients who were teenagers when they were admitted to Skye House, a specialist NHS unit in Glasgow, told BBC Disclosure some nurses called them "pathetic" and "disgusting" - and even mocked their suicide attempts.

"It was almost as if I was getting treated like an animal," one young patient, being treated for anorexia, said.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it was "incredibly sorry" and has launched two inquiries into the allegations uncovered by the BBC's investigation.

Programme-makers spoke to 28 former patients while making BBC Disclosure's Kids on The Psychiatric Ward documentary.

One said the 24-bed psychiatric hospital, which sits in the grounds of Glasgow's Stobhill hospital, was like "hell".

"I'd say the culture of the nursing team was quite toxic. A lot of them, to be honest, were quite cruel a lot of the time," she added.

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Source: BBC News, 10 February 2025