{"id":620685,"date":"2026-09-10T19:48:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T19:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620685\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T19:48:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T19:48:20","slug":"family-of-woman-in-psychiatric-care-for-25-years-say-she-is-overmedicated-unable-to-walk-and-can-no-longer-hold-a-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/620685\/","title":{"rendered":"Family of woman in psychiatric care for 25 years say she is \u2018overmedicated\u2019, unable to walk and can no longer \u2018hold a conversation\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 41-year-old woman with learning disabilities is so over-medicated she can no longer walk unassisted and is confined to a psychiatric hospital in Belfast, her parents have claimed.<\/p>\n

Mark and Marjorie Sharp, who live in the Stewartstown Road area<\/a> of Belfast, told The Irish News that their daughter has endured a 25-year ordeal in the care system spanning multiple facilities, including Muckamore Abbey Hospital<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And they have now raised serious concerns about their daughter\u2019s care at the Knockbracken psychiatric hospital campus, where Laura now lives after spending most of her adult life in Muckamore – a specialist facility that was the subject of a public inquiry into the abuse of patients by staff, and a long-running police investigation.<\/p>\n

Mr and Mrs Sharp, parents of 41\u2011year\u2011old Laura, said their daughter was first detained at the age of just 16 and has been in the care of the state ever since.<\/p>\n

\"Sinn<\/a>\"Labour<\/a><\/p>\n

Laura left Muckamore in 2018, shortly before the news of an abuse scandal at the specialist Co Antrim<\/a> hospital first began to emerge, and she was moved to a supported living facility run by a charity.<\/p>\n

Concerns were also raised about her care there. Laura was \u201cevicted\u201d last year and her parents believe she was moved out of the supported living facility because of their role in prompting an inspection by Northern Ireland\u2019s health watchdog that found care failings. The charity, the Cedar Foundation, says she was moved because they were no longer able to meet Laura\u2019s care needs.<\/p>\n

Laura now lives permanently at Knockbracken where her parents believe she is over-medicated to the point she can no longer walk unassisted, and where her condition has \u201cdeteriorated\u201d to such an extent she has been unable to attend important medical appointments.<\/p>\n

Mark and Marjorie say sweeping changes are now needed to ensure vulnerable patients like Laura are given adequate care, warning that many of the failings identified by the public inquiry into Muckamore have not been addressed.<\/p>\n

The public inquiry found earlier this year that Muckamore patients, some of the most vulnerable in Northern Ireland, suffered physical abuse including black eyes and broken bones, were left \u201czombified\u201d by over-medication, and endured mental torture and systematic bullying in a culture where mistreatment had become \u201cnormality\u201d.<\/p>\n

A PSNI<\/a> investigation into allegations of abuse at the specialist Co Antrim hospital has been ongoing for the best part of a decade in what is believed to be the largest criminal probe of its kind ever undertaken in the UK, involving hundreds of thousands of hours of CCTV footage from inside the facility.<\/p>\n

Mr and Mrs Sharp were among those family members who gave evidence to the inquiry, and told The Irish News how they reported to authorities that Laura was the victim of serious assaults on more than one occasion – none of which they say resulted in any consequences.<\/p>\n

They believe family members are still not being listened to by health authorities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Sharp family met the chief executive of the Belfast Trust, Jennifer Welsh, last month. Marjorie and Mark say that while the meeting went well, specific suggestions they had made about Laura\u2019s care do not appear to have been passed on to staff members dealing with their daughter.<\/p>\n

The Trust, however, say the \u201cactions agreed\u201d during the meeting with the chief executive have been passed to frontline staff. The Trust also stated that staff meet with the family every week to discuss Laura\u2019s care, and insisted any concerns raised are \u201ctaken very seriously\u201d.<\/p>\n

A Trust spokesperson also insisted her medication and support arrangements are \u201cregularly reviewed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Laura\u2019s current care at Knockbracken, the family say, is a far cry from an initially encouraging period she spent in an assisted living facility upon leaving Muckamore – proving, the parents say, that Laura is perfectly capable of living a happy life with the right support.<\/p>\n

They are now hoping to secure an arrangement for her with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, for a care package to be delivered in what would become her own home – meaning that if an issue were to arise then her care could be modified, rather than forcing her to endure another eviction and move to another facility. That, Mr and Mrs Sharp hope, could bring an end to a 25-year ordeal that has seen Laura moved between three separate facilities since she was first detained under mental health<\/a> legislation as a teenager.<\/p>\n

Early life and detention at Muckamore<\/p>\n

Marjorie Sharp recalls knowing from the time Laura was nine months old that something was different about her daughter. She attended school in Lisburn before the family moved to Belfast. In her teenage years, she displayed behaviour that made her difficult to manage.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaura used to go on the bus with other kids, and she used to hit the other kids, and she\u2019d strip off in school,\u201d Marjorie said.<\/p>\n

Between the ages of around 12 and 14, Laura was first put on medication. \u201cLaura was like a zombie,\u201d Marjorie said. \u201cWe had to feed Laura. Laura couldn\u2019t talk.\u201d The medication was stopped, and the family tried securing assistance staff but Laura was \u201cgetting very disruptive\u201d. With another child to care for in the family home and everything beginning to \u201crevolve around Laura\u201d, Mark and Marjorie faced a difficult decision.<\/p>\n

A phone call to the family\u2019s social worker in August 2001 resulted in Laura being placed at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. \u201cThe worst day of my life,\u201d Marjorie said. \u201cWe tried everywhere. We tried other places. Nothing was suitable.\u201d Mark said: \u201cWe decided to enter her for better treatment, hoping she\u2019d come home again. But that didn\u2019t happen. Laura was detained.\u201d For the first six weeks, the family say they were not allowed to visit her.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Muckamore Abbey Hospital health facility (Liam McBurney\/PA) <\/p>\n

Concerns about Laura\u2019s care emerged within the first few months. The Sharps recalled multiple instances of alleged mistreatment that had been reported to authorities, including one occasion that they said left her \u201cshaking and afraid\u201d, but the family say their concerns were not dealt with adequately.<\/p>\n

Laura remained in Muckamore for most of her adult life, finally leaving in March 2018.<\/p>\n

The Sharps were among the families who gave evidence to the Muckamore public inquiry.<\/p>\n

The Mews supported living<\/p>\n

Laura moved to The Mews supported living in Belfast in 2018. Her family praised its first year, with consistent core staff, but said stability was eroded as key personnel left and turnover rose. Covid lockdowns severely restricted family contact to all families and her father described how he climbed a railing after being denied access in order to reassure her and tell her \u201cmammy and daddy still love you but we can\u2019t come and see you\u201d during the first lockdown. <\/p>\n

Mr Sharp said he was reported to police for trespassing. In September 2024, after an incident in a shop with inexperienced staff, her parents claim she was effectively confined to her home. The family say they brought concerns about The Mews to the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, who carried out a series of inspections between February and March 2025 that found failings compromising service users\u2019 quality of life. Laura left the facility in July 2025 and the family believes this was as a result of their decision to raise concerns.<\/p>\n

The charity said that in December 2024 it notified the Belfast Trust that due to \u201cchanges in assessed need\u201d it could no longer provide Laura with \u201cthe care she needed\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Cedar Foundation, in a statement, said: \u201cThe Mews has a dedicated team of staff, many of whom have been employees since the service opened in 2018. Staff turnover rates reflect the wider health and social care sector. There is no evidence that staff turnover caused a loss of stability or a decline in quality of life; indeed, many families continually commend the service and support provided at The Mews.\u201d<\/p>\n

The charity said it made the PSNI aware of an individual scaling \u201cexternal fencing\u201d and erecting a banner.<\/p>\n

Cedar said it has \u201cpreviously addressed all concerns raised by the Sharp family\u201d and remains \u201csorry that the Sharp family still feel we did not meet their expectations for the care and support provided to their daughter\u201d.<\/p>\n

Knockbracken<\/p>\n

Laura was moved to the Knockbracken psychiatric hospital campus in Belfast, which has become her new home. There, her parents say her condition has become significantly worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaura\u2019s actually deteriorated since she went into Knockbracken under the Belfast Trust care, just deteriorated,\u201d Mark said. Before she entered the facility, her parents say Laura was capable of walking around half-a-mile away and back again. Now, they say she can barely walk due to the medication she is on. \u201cShe is dizzy and overmedicated,\u201d Marjorie said. \u201dShe can\u2019t function. She couldn\u2019t hold a conversation with us now, but she was able to beforehand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura is not taken into the community, her parents say. When the family visits, they are in a visitors\u2019 room with the door into the ward locked.<\/p>\n

They also allege that staff at Knockbracken sometimes enjoy takeaway food in front of patients, who are restricted to \u201chospital food\u201d and can become agitated when they see staff eating food from elsewhere – a practice identified in the Muckamore public inquiry as resulting in \u201cpatient distress, which led to self-injury and thereafter seclusion of the patient by staff\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"PICTURE:Knockbracken Healthcare Park. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n

This allegation was put to the Trust by The Irish News. The Trust declined to comment on this specific point but a spokesperson said it is unable to comment on specific aspects of any person\u2019s care due to confidentiality and patient privacy.<\/p>\n

The family met with Belfast Trust chief executive Jennifer Welsh on August 12, after receiving a five-page apology from the Belfast Trust that was issued to families who had given evidence to the Muckamore inquiry. The apology acknowledged the Trust had adopted an \u201cadversarial attitude\u201d towards families and the inquiry. Mark and Marjorie said the meeting was positive and professional, but weeks later they now say specific care improvements they had requested still do not appear to have been passed along to on-the-ground staff at Knockbracken.<\/p>\n

Laura\u2019s condition has now deteriorated to such an extent that she has missed important medical appointments, because she has been unable to go into the external clinic due to her \u201canxiety and autism\u201d. Marjorie said that just a few years ago she had brought Laura to the same clinic, alone, without issue – something that would be impossible today in Laura\u2019s present condition.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Belfast Trust said: \u201cBelfast Trust understands that Laura\u2019s family are experiencing considerable stress and anxiety in relation to her wellbeing. Our staff meet with them at a dedicated meeting once a week to discuss her care and answer any questions they may have. Staff also have regular contact with them outside of this dedicated weekly time. Belfast Trust\u2019s Chief Executive has also met with Mr and Mrs Sharp recently and the actions agreed from this meeting have been shared with the service.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny concerns families raise with the Trust are taken very seriously and are reviewed through the appropriate clinical and governance procedures. Care plans, including medication and support arrangements, are regularly reviewed by multidisciplinary teams and concerns raised by families are considered as part of those ongoing assessments.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Trust spokesperson added: \u201cVisiting facilities and community access arrangements are determined according to individual care plans, risk assessments and clinical advice, with the aim of promoting independence, wellbeing and meaningful family contact wherever possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing the publication of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry Report, Belfast Trust\u2019s Chief Executive and Chair wrote to families to offer a full and unequivocal apology and an invitation to meet with the Chief Executive and Chair. We are working with those families who would like to do so to make arrangements for those meetings and some have already taken place, as with Mr and Mrs Sharp. Belfast Trust remains committed to rebuilding trust with families, listening to them, and learning as we move forward following the publication of the Inquiry Report.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to again reassure Laura\u2019s family that her wellbeing is of vital importance to us and we will continue to work with them to ensure she is receiving the level of care she needs at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reform<\/p>\n

The Muckamore Inquiry expressed serious concern about whether the Belfast Trust can change on its own, stating it may require external forces to do so. The report stated that the \u201cattitude of the trust\u201d, as seen in correspondence, raised \u201cserious concern as to whether the Belfast Trust has the capacity to change its ways independently and without external forces brought to bear\u201d.<\/p>\n

Marjorie Sharp believes the \u201cwhole culture is rotten\u201d. Mark Sharp told The Irish News there is a power imbalance between health authorities and families that must be corrected. \u201cYou can\u2019t fight them on your own,\u201d he said. \u201cFamilies are too tired, it\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

He believes family members should be given a greater say in the care of their loved ones.<\/p>\n

Before his resignation as Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt apologised to families and patients at Muckamore following the inquiry report\u2019s publication, and promised to implement all 106 recommendations made by the inquiry – without ruling out taking some form of action to ensure reforms at the Belfast Trust.<\/p>\n

Asked if his resignation is likely to change things, Mark Sharp was pessimistic: \u201cNothing\u2019s happening on disability. No one is interested. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement, the new Health Minister Robbie Butler said the Muckamore Inquiry report is a \u201cpriority issue\u201d, and stressed that he is \u201cworking through the Report\u2019s recommendations with my officials\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A 41-year-old woman with learning disabilities is so over-medicated she can no longer walk unassisted and is confined…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":620686,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[103,121281,61,60,410,411,263520,782,103152],"class_list":["post-620685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-health-and-social-care","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-muckamore-abbey-hospital","tag-nhs","tag-west-belfast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620685\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}