17/12/2012
After shocking footage of patients suffering at the hands of the private hospital Winterbourne View, situated near Bristol was shown to the nation, the time has come to rethink the care of patients with learning difficulties. The footage showed horrific and disturbing scenes of patients being assaulted and forcibly restrained against their wills. An undercover journalist called Joseph Casey gained employment as a care worker at Winterbourne View to record the upsetting scenes for the BBC's panarama programme.
Since the undercover footage was taken and released of Winterbourne View, which is run by Castlebeck Homes, six care workers have been imprisoned. In October, four of Winterbourne View's support workers and a further two nurses were given sentences of between six months and two years for the part they played in the horrific abuse within the hospital, with an additional five employees being given suspended jail sentences. In total eleven people pleaded guilty to charges of abuse at the institution.
Following the prison sentences that were doled out to these so called care workers, the families of the effected former residents of the hospital called for more to be done by the government and for other similar residences to be closed and to be replaced by more local services. In a statement they argue that places like Winterbourne View should not be in existence and should be closed down.
Winterbourne View was shut following the expose by the BBC and was then bought by another business. There were 26-beds in this private hospital which turned over in excess of £3.7m by 2010, after opening only four years earlier. On average, each patient paid a weekly fee of around £3,500 to secure their place.
The National Health Service and local councils have made a new promise to stop sending vulnerable adults and teenagers to such types of residential hospitals, after an enquiry was launched by government ministers. Patients who suffer from autism and learning difficulties will be protected under a new charter which is to be signed by many care organisations. The new charter will be supported by not only the Department of Health but also by the British Association of Social Workers. It has also been signed by the British Psychological Society and the National Housing Federation.
The Department of Health has revealed its findings which state that within a period of 18 months, there should be a marked reduction in patients being housed in this type of residential hospital, and instead patients will be given live-in care options so that more vulnerable adults will be able to stay in their own homes. Going forward, patients can hope to be looked after within their communities and housed in sheltered housing or other more flexible settings.
Currently more than to 11,000 people are residents in hospitals like Winterbourne View. Some charities have argues that such institutions are ideal breeding grounds that are ripe for abuse.
The abuse that patients at Winterbourne View were subjected to was truly despicable. The disgusting footage portrayed scenes of patients being given cold showers whilst fully clothed as a punishment or even left outside in freezing temperatures. Some patients suffered the indignation of having mouthwash poured into their eyes, their hair pulled and their medication forcibly given. Many of the victims of the abuse that was shown in the footage were obviously upset and were seen to be screaming and shaking. One patient who tried to jump from a second-floor window was ridiculed by members of staff.
Patients who suffer from mental health conditions or from severe learning disabilities have for too long been the victims of inadequate care services, being sent to hospitals when it is not necessary for them to be there and being housed there for long periods of time, even for years.
The charter promises a new programme for change to improve the health and care services for children, young people and adults who have learning difficulties and autism to provide better care outcomes. It is expected that placements in hospitals will be rapidly reduced for this group of people by June 2014.
Those who signed the charter have promised to safeguard patient's dignity and rights by committing to developing more individual and local high quality care services. Abuse and neglect will no longer be tolerated in care settings.
Primary care trusts will be instructed that they must make registers of anyone who has learning disabilities or autism and mental health conditions and requires NHS care.
From June 2014, each individual on the register will have their own personal care plan, which will usually not be within a hospital setting and will therefore increase the numbers of people who require live-in carers, with more appropriate and cheaper care options being available in local communities. To keep patients within a hospital setting will require more justification than it currently does. Patients who can be cared for within their homes and remaining close to their families are much more likely to live happy and fulfilling lives.
Labour welcomed the new proposals while shadow care minister Liz Kendall asked for more detail about exactly how many patients the government plan to remove from long-term care institutions. Mark Goldring, chief executive at Mencap, expressed his support and encouragement for this national programme of change which he said demonstrates the government has succeeded in listening to what families want.
