Glynis Murphy, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Disability at the Tizard Centre, is one of two experts appointed to the panel of a public inquiry into allegations of abuse at a hospital in Northern Ireland.
The public inquiry will examine the issue of abuse of patients at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, run by the Belfast Health Trust. The hospital provides facilities for people with learning disabilities.
Allegations of ill-treatment of patients first emerged in 2017 when a major police investigation was launched. Following a campaign by relatives of the patients, a public inquiry was ordered in September 2020 by Robin Swann, Minister of Health in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Robin Swann has now appointed Professor Murphy and Elaine Maxwell as inquiry panel members. The panel will be chaired by Tom Kark QC. Terms of reference for the public inquiry were announced last month and the inquiry is due to begin on Monday 11 October.
Professor Murphy is a chartered clinical and forensic psychologist as well as a Health and Care Professions Council member and Fellow of the British Psychological Society. She was president of the International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID) between 2008 and 2012.
At the Tizard Centre, Professor Murphy has taught on both the undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She developed and convened the MSc in Analysis and Intervention in Learning Disabilities and has been instrumental in developing the MA Postgraduate studies in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Forensic Issues. She currently supervises PhD students most of whose research focuses on autism and learning disabilities and the criminal justice system.