A "toxic staff culture" exists in an NHS mental heath unit, it is claimed. It is also alleged that patients at the Edenfield Centre in Prestwich, Bury, were abused.
As reported in the Manchester Evening News police have started an investigation into the allegations and staff have been suspended. The claims involve 40 patients and 25 staff.
A letter issued by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, which runs the unit, says the claims stem from "secret filming" conducted by Panorama between March and June this year. It adds: "The BBC has not allowed us to view the contents of the programme in advance of broadcast."
The programme is due to be screened this evening and the Trust letter to stakeholders, says: "It appears in general terms that Panorama may allege unprofessional, unsafe, and uncaring practices with a focus on staff shortages, language and communication with patients and inappropriate use of restraint practices. We believe the BBC will allege a neglectful approach to the provision of services at the Edenfield Centre and a toxic staff culture."
It adds that the information provided by the programme relates to approximately 40 patients and 25 staff. The Trust says it is taking the allegations "very seriously" and has taken action since they came to light in early September.
The Edenfield Centre which has eleven wards for male and female patients has been closed to new admissions and detailed clinical reviews of affected patients are being conducted to ensure their safety. It has 600 staff and caring for around 200 adults with referrals from across the country.
Additional advocacy support for patients, their carers and their families and extra senior clinical and operational management have been deployed to the unit to ensure appropriate working practices are being followed.
A number of staff have been suspended and the Trust is commissioning an independent clinical review of the Edenfield Centre led by Dr David Fearnely, Chief Medical Officer for Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, which has already started.
The letter says: "We are also working closely with local and national partner organisations including NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, the Ministry of Justice, NHS Greater Manchester (Integrated Care Board) and the Bury Safeguarding Unit to ensure the safety of our services."
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust said: "We are taking the allegations raised by Panorama very seriously since the BBC sent them to us earlier this month. We have put in place immediate actions to protect patient safety, which is our utmost priority.
“Since then, senior doctors at the Trust have undertaken clinical reviews of the patients affected, we have suspended a number of staff pending further investigations and we have also commissioned an independent clinical review of the services provided at the Edenfield Centre.
“We are working closely with local and national partners including NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and Greater Manchester Police to ensure the safety of these services. We will co-operate fully with all investigations. We owe it to our patients, their families and carers, the public and our staff that these allegations are fully investigated to ensure we provide the best care, every day, for all the communities we serve.”
Patients at Edenfield have complex, chronic, and enduring mental health needs which are sometimes linked to offending or serious harmful behaviour to themselves or others.
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust which runs the unit is already under scrutiny after three young people died within nine months at other units at the Prestwich facility.
As reported in the Manchester Evening News, Rowan Thompson, 18, died while a patient at the unit in October 2020, followed by Charlie Millers, 17, in December that year, and Ania Sohail, 21, in June last year. Inquests into all three cases are pending but the family's of Rowan and Charlie are angry that the Trust says it has no plans to publish an independent review it commissioned into the three deaths.
