The final report of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Public Inquiry has been published.
Chaired by Tom Kark KC of QEB Hollis Whiteman, the Inquiry was established in October 2021 to investigate allegations of abuse at the hospital and the circumstances that allowed that abuse to occur.
The publication of the report follows the conclusion of the Inquiry’s hearings and marks the final stage of the Inquiry process.
In his Chair’s Update on Report on 27 May 2026, Tom Kark KC stated that the report represents the culmination of many years of work by the Inquiry team and, more importantly, the work of families and service users to have a public Inquiry into the circumstances that allowed abuse to occur at Muckamore Abbey Hospital.
Commenting on the series of recommendations, Inquiry Chair Tom Kark KC added:
“At the heart of the Inquiry’s recommendations is a commitment to ensure that what happened at Muckamore Abbey Hospital can never be repeated. The Inquiry was established to examine what happened, why it happened, and how it was allowed to continue for so long. Over the course of our work, we reviewed extensive evidence, heard testimony from families, staff, and experts, and scrutinised the systems, culture, and governance structures that failed to protect those in care.
The Inquiry reviewed a considerable amount of information including the evidence of over 180 oral witnesses and a total of over 300 written statements from witnesses, some of whom produced thousands of pages of exhibits.
The report sets out 106 recommendations for reform, aimed at ensuring that services for people with learning disabilities and autistic people will be safe, compassionate, and accountable into the future. The number of recommendations reflect the depth of evidence heard and the seriousness of the failures uncovered.
These recommendations are designed to strengthen governance, improve safeguarding, enhance staff training and support, and embed a culture where concerns are raised, heard, and acted upon. They represent the minimum steps necessary to rebuild trust and to create a system in which the rights and safety of vulnerable people are protected without exception.”
Tom Kark KC also acknowledged the significance of the occasion and called for sensitivity towards all those connected with the hospital, including service users, families, members of staff and representatives of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
Read the full report here.
You can watch Tom Kark’s announcement here.
Accompanying materials can be accessed on the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry website.
The inquiry has been widely reported in the press:
Tom Kark KC