Abuse at Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit in St Albans

Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit was a treatment facility based in St Albans, which was operational from 1969 until it closed in 1995 and was converted into a housing estate.

The Unit was supposed to treat teenagers under the age of 16 with psychiatric illnesses and mental health issues, most of whom were vulnerable or under care orders. 

Many former patients at the Unit have reported being subjected to abuse by the staff ranging from physical assaults to sexual abuse, including rape and frequent sedation and strip searches.

One former patient at the Unit described it as a “dumping ground for children for whom the NHS and local authorities had run out of other ideas.”

In 2017, Bedfordshire, Cambridge and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit launched Operation Meadow, which was a three-year investigation into the Unit following historic reports of abuse and excessive use of sedation by staff on patients.

Records obtained from the Unit during Operation Meadow demonstrated that patients as young as 10 years old were regularly given adult doses of sedatives as a form of control and punishment.

Operation Meadow concluded that the sedation used by staff at the Unit did not meet the required standards at the time it was operational.

Jordans Solicitors now act for former patients at Hill End Hospital Adolescent Unit in relation to their experiences at the Unit.

Jordans Solicitors – helping victims of sexual abuse claim compensation.

If you have been a victim of physical and/or sexual abuse and would like to speak to one of our Specialist Abuse Lawyers in confidence, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We have the knowledge and experience to advise you on the available options for pursuing a Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim and/or civil damages claim.

Our Sexual Abuse Compensation Team can be contacted by telephoning 08009555094 or 03303001103.