Mental Health: Lennox Castle – for iPod/iPhone

What was it like living and working in the largest mental deficiency hospital in Britain? And what changes led to its relatively recent closure? In it’s heyday in the 1970s, Lennox Castle Hospital in Scotland housed over 1600 patients in purpose built multi-occupancy villas, and most staff lived on site or in nearby Lennoxtown. Oral historian Howard Mitchell started his working life there, as a member of the hospital’s nursing staff. In the tracks on this album, he looks back at the history of the hospital, and talks to former patients and staff about their experiences during and after their time at Lennox Castle. He also reflects on the responsibilities of oral historians when gathering such personal testimonies. To complete the album, Professor Joanna Bornat of The Open University’s Faculty of Health and Social Care explains why the case study was selected for study and unpicks some of the issues that emerge. The material forms part of The Open University course K101 An introduction to health and social care.