Unit facing closedown call after TV revelations

Patients say they were held down by staff and one feared rape

“Horrifying” allegations that mental health patients were cruelly mistreated at a Dundee care facility should lead to it being shut down, it has been claimed.

Relatives of former patients at NHS Tayside’s Carseview Centre have spoken of their shock at revelations aired in a BBC Scotland documentary last night which suggested patients were regularly bullied and violently subjected to facedown restraints – and that illegal drugs could be easily obtained in the unit.

Professor Peter Tyrer, who co-wrote guidelines on how to handle mental health patients, told the BBC he was concerned the culture at Carseview had become so toxic it should be closed.

“I know that there are various changes going on there but I think once you get a culture like that which has been there for a long time, it’s very difficult to move it,” he said.

“What really concerns me is that if this unit persisted, it would represent a continuing scandal in mental health care.”

Prof Tyrer said the evidence suggested a hospital “out of control”, while another expert, Professor Joy Duxbury, of Manchester Metropolitan University, labelled Carseview “an institution in crisis”.

The programme highlighted claims from ex-patient Adele Douglas, from Forfar, who said she had been forcibly held down for more than 45 minutes and Christopher Dunsmuir, who said he feared he was going to be raped after being held down by six staff before being injected with a tranquiliser.

There were also allegations that such incidents of restraint had not been properly recorded.

Last night there were calls for the claims to be investigated thoroughly.

“These allegations are horrifying,” said Labour shadow health secretary Anas Sarwar.

Conservative Angus MP Kirstene Hair called for a “robust response” from NHS Tayside, while Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP also called on ministers to look at the “culture of care” at Carseview.

NHS Tayside chairman John Brown said the board was “very concerned” about the nature of the allegations and said all the claims would be investigated in full.

“We have been clear from the beginning that we wanted to provide a public platform for the concerns of families and the public.

“And I give everyone my assurance that all claims and allegations received will be included in the transparent body of evidence gathered by the inquiry and fully investigated.

“We take any concerns raised with us very seriously and we want to be able to investigate people’s experiences in detail and take any appropriate action.

“That is why I would encourage patients to come forward and share their own stories with us.

“We will listen and we will act.”

Picture: Kim Cessford. Former patients were scathing of their treatment at Carseview.