The Locked Ward
Memoirs of a Psychiatric Orderly

A memoir that sets out to reveal the true story of life in a psychiatric ward. Recounting the stories of the patients the author worked with, and those of the friends he made on the ward, it provides a detailed account of day-to-day life behind the doors of the most feared and stigmatised environment in healthcare.

Over seven years O'Donnell witnessed the day-to-day lives of people suffering from the most hair-raising illnesses. What emerges is a document of humanity and humour, a remarkable memoir that sheds light on a world that still remains largely unknown.