LEARNING DISABILITY PRACTICE April 2009 | Volume 12 | Number 3
News
5
i Find out more
To read the report go to:
www.ombudsman.org.uk
To read Death by Indifference, go to:
www.mencap.org.uk/document.asp?id=284
Ombudsmen's damning report on patient
deaths calls for urgent review of services
PeOPLe WitH learning disabilities have
died because of `significant and distressing'
failures in health and social care, according
to a highly critical report.
the report from the english health and
local government ombudsmen calls for
an urgent review of services, which they
say are `at best patchy and at worst an
indictment of our society'.
Six Lives: the provision of public services
to people with learning disabilities follows
up complaints made by Mencap on behalf
of the families of six people with learning
disabilities who died between 2003 and
2005 while in nHs or local authority care.
Mencap originally wrote about the
cases in their own 2007 report Death by
Indifference, which claimed that people
with a learning disability were dying
unnecessarily as a result of institutional
discrimination in the nHs. the six, Martin
ryan, emma Kemp, Mark Cannon, ted
Hughes, tom Wakefield and Warren Cox,
all died because of a widespread failure by
health professionals to provide the proper
level of care.
Health service ombudsman ann
abraham said the report `shows that on
many occasions basic policy and guidance
were not observed, the needs of people with
learning disabilities were not accommodated
and services were uncoordinated.
she added: `the complex factors that
led to these failures to protect vulnerable
individuals demonstrate the need for
stronger leadership throughout the health
and care professions � this report is not
solely a concern for specialists in learning
disabilities.'
the report reveals:
significant and distressing failures in
service across health and social care.
One person died as a consequence
of public service failure. it is likely
the death of another individual could
have been avoided, had the care and
treatment provided not fallen so far
below the relevant standards.
People with learning disabilities
experienced prolonged suffering and
poor care.
some public bodies failed to live up to
human rights principles, especially those
of dignity and equality.
Many organisations responded
inadequately to the complaints made
against them.
the ombudsmen recommend that the nHs
and social care organisations review their
systems to understand and meet the needs
of people with learning disabilities, and
ensure they have the capacity to meet any
`additional and often complex' needs.
they call on the health and social care
regulators to monitor the care provided,
and on the department of Health to
produce a progress report within 18
months. the ombudsmen said that many
organisations compounded their failures
by poor handling of complaints and by a
reluctance to offer apologies.
For reactions to the report, see page 7.
Health and social care services need stronger leadership and better training
TimGeorge
People with learning disabilities are being encouraged to join
Motorsport Endeavour, a charity that enables people with
disabilities to enjoy motor sport.
Anthony Crofts (pictured), who lost his arm in an accident,
took his Jaguar to the charity's track day at Silverstone, home of
the British Grand Prix, last month. Other club members, who do
not own cars and had never driven before, borrowed dual control
cars supplied by the British School of Motoring for an impromptu
driving lesson before taking to the track.
Everyone who attended was given track time which included
a lap of the full Grand Prix circuit as a passenger in a Lotus
Exige sports car. Steve Tarrant, Motorsport Endeavour's rally
event director, said: `We are keen to involve people with learning
disabilities in the club. Our motto is "disability not inability",
and everyone is welcome.'
For more information visit www.motorsportendeavour.com
On track for a good time
TimGeorge

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