Another terrible report into the treatment of people with learning disabilities. Inspectors say staff dragged patients across the floor, elbowed a woman in the stomach as well as slapping and kicking a patient. All happened at Yew Trees Hospital in Essex.

Male staff were used to restrain female patients even when female staff were in the room; one woman was left in a seclusion room between 1am & 6am but staff didn’t recognise it as seclusion so didn’t offer her any aftercare.

Inspectors @CareQualityComm said that a review of CCTV showed “abusive, disrespectful, intimidating, aggressive and inappropriate behaviour”. They say that the people who lived there were being “subjected not only to poor care, but to abuse.”

Yew Trees was a 10 bed hospital for women with autism & learning disabilities. There were 8 patients in there when the abuse took place. A report in April said the average length of stay was 3 years.

The owners @cygnethealth said they alerted inspectors in July after they reviewed one incident on CCTV. They say they’ve closed the hospital and dismissed 4 members of staff. Two support workers have been reported to Essex police who’ve also been passed the CCTV footage.