Staff Sleeping and Unhygienic Food: Concerns at Schoen Clinic York Eating Disorder Unit
A specialist eating disorder unit, Schoen Clinic York, has faced serious allegations of staff negligence and unsanitary conditions. Investigations reveal that staff members were photographed sleeping while on duty, and patients reported receiving unhygienic food. These issues raise concerns about the quality of care provided to vulnerable individuals struggling with eating disorders.
Staff Negligence and Patient Safety
Whistleblowers and former patients have reported multiple instances of "unsafe" incidents due to staff failings at the Schoen Clinic York. The BBC investigation detailed instances of workers sleeping while they were meant to be monitoring patients, and staff witnessing patients self-harming without intervening. This lack of adequate supervision placed seriously ill patients at risk.
- Staff members were photographed sleeping during patient monitoring.
- Patients reported instances of self-harm being ignored by staff.
Patient Testimonials and Concerns
Several former patients have expressed concerns that their time at the unit worsened their conditions. One patient, Naomi, shared photographs of staff sleeping during post-meal supervision. Another patient, Molly, reported waking up to the sound of staff snoring during her one-to-one observation, leading her to exercise in secret to burn energy. Abbie, another former inpatient, said staff ignored her while she was self-harming.
"I was in my room, cutting myself. Staff would come in and see me doing it and walk back out without saying anything." - Abbie, former inpatient
Unsanitary Food Conditions
Beyond staff negligence, patients also reported significant issues with the quality of food served at Schoen Clinic York. Concerns included finding hair in food and being served meals described as "inedible." One woman reported being served food with hair in it in May 2025. In April 2025, health inspectors gave the clinic a one-star food hygiene rating.
- Patients found hair in their food.
- Food was often described as "inedible."
- Health inspectors gave the clinic a one-star food hygiene rating.
Sarah, the mother of patient Molly, wrote to the clinic's management in 2023 expressing her concerns about the quality of the food, describing meat that looked like cartilage, jelly, and fat.
"Dishes often contain meat that looks like cartilage, jelly and fat, with a high percentage of gristle. I would expect the quality of the nutrition provided to be of the highest in order to motivate the patients to eat." - Sarah, mother of Molly
Response from Schoen Clinic and Closure
Schoen Clinic York stated that it takes concerns about food quality seriously and had addressed issues identified in a food hygiene inspection. A spokesperson noted that the clinic was required to use a designated food supplier by its landlords during the period when some patients raised concerns. The eating disorder unit closed on August 27th, citing "low levels of referrals from across England to the service".
Reactions and Further Developments
The allegations have sparked outrage and concern among eating disorder advocates. Wera Hobhouse, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eating Disorders, expressed horror and disgust at the reported experiences. Following the closure of the eating disorder unit, the dementia unit at Wellen Court (also run by Schoen) was temporarily prevented from accepting new patients due to safety concerns, prompting an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
CQC Findings and Previous Ratings
Prior to the reported issues, the CQC had rated the service as "good" in 2022, stating it provided "safe care" and "managed risk well". However, patients interviewed by the BBC disagreed with this assessment. The CQC stated that it had conducted continued monitoring of the provider since 2022 and acknowledged that it was "concerning" that people who used the service felt so let down.
Support Resources
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is available via the BBC's Action Line page.
