Deep Sleep Therapy

Deep Sleep Therapy (or Deep Sedation Therapy, DST) was a psychiatric treatment pioneered by British psychiatrist William Sargant. It was notoriously practised (in combination with electroconvulsive therapy and other therapies) by Dr Harry Bailey between 1962 and 1979 in Sydney, Australia at the Chelmsford Private Hospital.

Chelmsford scandal
Deep Sleep Therapy as practised by Bailey involved long periods of barbiturate-induced coma, during which it was anticipated that the patients' minds would be able to overcome mental afflictions. DST was prescribed for various conditions ranging from schizophrenia and depression to obesity, PMS and addiction.

Twenty-six patients died at Chelmsford Private Hospital during that period with only perfunctory investigation by authorities. One prominent group campaigning for investigations was the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, part of the Church of Scientology. A series of articles in the early 1980s in the Sydney Morning Herald exposed the horrors that occurred at Chelmsford, forcing the hospital to close. Legal action on behalf of former patients is still being pursued in New South Wales.

The most famous patient was Stevie Wright the former lead singer of the 60's pop band The Easy Beats; another was musician Bobby Limb. Bobby Limb was one of ex-patients of Chelmsford who took part in the 1992 documentary about the Deep Sleep scandal, Deep Sleep made for Channel Four in the UK's Secret History (television documentary series) by filmmaker John Edginton. The film was also shown on ABC ,the Australian broadcasting network and A&E in America.

In 1989 the former Chelmsford Private Hospital was refurbished and reopened under new management and is up to present day operating as a nursing home.