Harley, who gave her consent to be identified, was filmed being restrained and forced into seclusion
A number of staff members have been suspended, and the trust said it was working with Greater Manchester Police, the independent healthcare regulator the Care Quality Commission, and NHS England "to ensure the safety of these services".The BBC's undercover reporter, Alan Haslam, spent three months as a support worker inside the Edenfield Centre in Prestwich, near Manchester.
Prof John Baker, an expert in mental health nursing at the University of Leeds, said: "It doesn't feel safe. You're quite clearly seeing toxic staff. There's an awful lot of hostility towards patients across all of the wards, which is really concerning."Claire - not her real name - has a history of self-harm and was filmed being humiliated by a female support worker for needing help with going to the toilet.
One nurse was filmed refusing to check on a crying patient named Olivia, who self-harms and has repeatedly tried to kill herself. The BBC is only identifying patients where they and their families have given consent.Olivia, who agreed to be identified on camera, said verbal abuse by staff harmed patients' mental health
Another time, when Claire was due for a weekly injection, she hid her head under a blanket. Support workers and the senior nurse with them did not try to persuade her to comply, but instead were filmed dragging her by the wrist from a chair and into a room down the corridor. The code of practice for mental health workers says restraint and other "restrictive interventions" should only be used to take control of dangerous situations and stop anyone being hurt - not for punishment.
At one point a nurse was filmed saying staff wanted her kept in seclusion because they "need a break from her". Edenfield's seclusion rooms are small, with a bed, shower and toilet, all of which can be observed by staff from an adjoining room. Some have mould, peeling paint, a smell of sewage and windows that don't open.
I need my family member out of Edenfield as soon as possible! Such cruel behaviour
Appalling. Taken in the round - along with the three tragic deaths in other units, and the recent stark CQC judgements on the CMHTs - surely everyone at Board level must be considering their positions?