Ten arrested over ‘abuse of vulnerable patients’ at Whorlton Hall

The seven men and three women are all members of staff at the privately-run NHS-funded hospital.

Ten workers from an NHS hospital have been arrested over allegations of patient abuse following an undercover BBC Panorama investigation.

The seven men and three women detained were all confirmed to be members of staff from the privately-run NHS-funded Whorlton Hall hospital in County Durham.

Durham Police said the investigation includes allegations of physical and psychological abuse of patients with learning difficulties and autism.

The arrests were made in Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Darlington and Stockton on Friday.

The force said it was seeking the co-operation of the Panorama team to gather further evidence.

A police spokesman said: ‘As this is an ongoing inquiry, we are unable to comment further at this time, other than to repeat that our immediate priority has been to work with other agencies to safeguard the victims at the centre of the allegations and their families.

‘The investigation is at an early stage and is expected to take some time to complete’.

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Care at Whorlton Hall was branded ‘tantamount to psychological torture’ by Labour after a shocking BBC Panorama programme showed staff mocking, intimidating and repeatedly restraining patients.

Undercover reporter Olivia Davies recorded a staff member calling a patient a ‘fat c***’, another describing the hospital as ‘house of mongs’, and one care worker calling a patient’s family ‘f****** poison.’

Six care workers told the reporter they had deliberately hurt patients, including one who boasted about ‘clothes-lining’ someone – striking a person across the face with an extended arm.

Since the allegations of abuse were made, the 17-bed facility has been closed, with 16 staff suspended and patients transferred.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) health watchdog has also apologised after rating the hospital ‘good’ following a 2017 inspection.

Cygnet, the company which runs the NHS-funded private facility, said it was ‘shocked and deeply saddened’ and is working with police.

Health Minister Caroline Dinenage apologised on behalf of the NHS after the documentary showed staff mocking, taunting, intimidating and repeatedly restraining patients at the unit for people with learning difficulties.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Dinenage told MPs: ‘On behalf of the health and care system, I am deeply sorry that this has happened.’

She said the actions revealed by the Panorama programme were ‘quite simply appalling’.