2024-06-10
11 分钟Rebecca Thomas of the Independent describes her broad and shocking investigation into the failures in the UK’s mental health system. The last in the Paul Foot Award 2024 mini-series.
Page 94, the Private Eye podcast.
Hello and welcome to page 94.
My name is Andrew Hunter Murray.
Here we are with just one day to go until the poor Foot awards, our mini series is drawing to a close.
What a time it's been.
You've heard fantastic stories, you've heard about Crispin Odie, you've heard about child and adolescent mental health services, you've heard about the a 96, you've heard all sorts of stuff.
And now you're about to hear our final shortlisted entrant.
The awards are tomorrow night.
It is no exaggeration to say that lots of people are very excited about it.
Here is shortlisteed number six.
Take it away.
My name's Rebecca Thomas and I'm health correspondent for the Independent.
And, Rebecca, what is the story that's brought you to the pool Foot awards this year?
Essentially, it's a campaign focused on systemic safety issues within the mental health care system.
And what was the first, if you like, big story that you worked on with this campaign?
It was an expose on a privately run group of mental health hospitals, children's mental health hospitals, because patients were coming forward talking about the really awful experiences there.
And I actually was in contact with another journalist at Sky News who was familiar with the service and we combined forces and found dozens of patients, in the end, sharing really horrific stories.
So what was happening at these private hospitals?
Various things.
So, for example, treatments such as immediately restraining children.