A MOTHER said her son has been deprived of all dignity at a mental-health facility in Blackburn.

She spoke out after an investigation by the Lancashire Telegraph revealed the extent to which patients have been subjected to face-down restraint and other restrictive practices.

The man’s relatives do not want to be identified for fear it could affect his care. But they said he has experienced the problems on the Pendleview Unit at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

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They said he was subjected to barbaric face-down restraint techniques and seclusion rooms, and was pinned down while staff administered rapid tranquillisation drugs.

His mum said the family repeatedly advised staff on how best to deal with him but that their suggestions were disregarded.

She said this often led to problems which escalated, and staff then resorted to restrictive methods which deprived him of all dignity. She believes staff’s actions are sometimes intended to intimidate and demean.

Yesterday, the Lancashire Telegraph revealed data which suggested a spiralling use of restraint, seclusion areas and rapid tranquillisation at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the unit.

And further data obtained by the newspaper showed that on 40 occasions in the last three years, patients have been placed in seclusion for more than a week.

Seclusion lasted for more than two weeks on 15 of these occasions.

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Pendleview, said control methods are used when clinically appropriate and for the safety of patients or staff, and improved incident reporting had led to a rise in reported cases last year.

It said: “The two-year programme that the trust is undertaking aims to address the use of restraint and use of restricted practice.

“Prone restraint has been a nationally accepted practice until recently. Lancashire Care, along with all other trusts, are actively working to remove its use.”