Vulnerable patients' lives made 'miserable' by abuse, Muckamore inquiry finds

A number of long-term patients at a hospital for vulnerable adults suffered physical abuse, including black eyes, broken bones, bruising and excessive restraint.

The long-awaited final report into the abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital has been published. Chaired by Tom Kark KC, the public inquiry ran for three years from June 2022, hearing oral evidence from 181 witnesses and more than 300 statements.

The report into what happened inside the hospital found "deviance" was so normalised that working below par became acceptable. It also makes it clear that abuse did not involve every patient nor every member of staff, nor a majority of the staff.

But many patients had their lives made "miserable" by systematic bullying by certain members of staff whose job it was to look after them.

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Source: BBC News, 18 June 2026