Mental health centres treated teens ‘worse than animals’

A Sky News investigation has found evidence of the mistreatment of teenagers at mental health facilities.

More than 20 former patients or their relatives have provided evidence of excessive restraint and inadequate staffing.

They claim it left them at an increased risk of self-harm, with the mother of one patient saying they were “treated worse than animals”.

The company which ran the facilities, the Huntercombe Group, has been paid nearly £190m by the NHS since 2015, despite repeated criticism of the standard of care it provided.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, you can contact Samaritans by calling 116 123 – or e-mailing jo@samaritans.org

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