Whistleblowers expose horrific 'systemic abuse' of children in mental health hospitals

• Patients as young as 13 force-fed while restrained • Left alone to self-harm instead of being supervised •Staff shortages blamed at private Huntercombe units

Children came to “significant” harm due to chronically low levels of staffing at scandal-hit mental health hospitals, whistleblowers have said. In an exposé into allegations of poor care at private hospitals run by The Huntercombe Group, former employees claimed staffing was so poor “every day” that patients were neglected, resulting in children self-harming, girls being force-fed while restrained, and patients left to wet themselves because staff couldn’t supervise toilet visits. One ex-worker said she was left in tears after having to restrain and force-feed a patient. “It was horrific for me so I can’t even imagine what it was like for the patient,” she said. It comes as The Independent can reveal the organisation faces dozens of negligence claims and potential group action. After earlier investigations by this newspaper and Sky News, 50 patients came forward to allege “systemic abuse” and poor care over two decades at children’s mental health hospitals run by the organisation. Police are also investigating the death of a girl at the provider’s Taplow Manor Hospital, in Maidenhead, Berkshire, and the alleged rape of a child involving two staff members. It is understood multiple staff members raised sexual misconduct allegations against a worker there. Active Care Group, which now runs the hospital, said it was not aware of any outstanding grievances.