Analysis
7April 2009 | Volume 12 | Number 3LEARNING DISABILITY PRACTICE
What is the situation with
student numbers where you
work? Please contact the
editor Colin Parish at: colin.
parish@rcnpublishing.co.uk
What's your view?
The `Six Lives' report is available from
www.ombudsman.org.uk
Mencap's website is at: www.mencap.org.uk
University, has some good
news. the size of student
cohorts on his degree course
went up significantly in
2006/07. His group was about
20, double the previous year's
intake. University statistics
show that only 17 people
applied in 2005/06, but that the
number has hovered around 30
in the past three years.
However, negative
perceptions about learning
disability nursing persist
among other nurses, argues
Mr Clapham. `they say: "Why
are you wasting your time on
learning disability nursing? it's
history, it's going to be done
away with".'
NMC decision
Mr Clapham is unsure if the
credit crunch has brought more
people forward for learning
disability nursing courses. He
believes that in the longer term
a stronger influencing factor
could be the nursing Midwifery
Council's recent decision to
continue its support for learning
disability branch education.
there had previously been fears
that the nMC would scrap it,
effectively sounding the death
knell for the speciality. now
Mr Clapham is optimistic that
the nMC's decision could give
learning disability nursing a
welcome shot in the arm. `We're
waiting to see what will happen
now; whether there will be more
interest in learning disability
courses after what the nMC
has done.'
Christian Duffin is a freelance writer
An investigation into the deaths of six people with learning disabilities
has uncovered systemic failures in health and social care services
By Colin Parish
tHE oMBUdSMEn'S report
into the deaths of six people
with learning disabilities while
under the care of health and
local authority services (see
news page 5) has generated
widespread comment.
Mencap's chief executive
Mark goldring said the report
confirms the findings of the
charity's own report, Death
by Indifference, which told
of `the widespread failure by
health professionals to provide
the proper level of care' and
highlighted an appalling
catalogue of neglect of people
with a learning disability.
He said that despite
evidence of gPs failing in
their duty of care and legal
responsibilities under the
disability discrimination Act,
the ombudsman did not find
service failure regarding the
practice of any gP.
`Although the report is a big
step forward for people with a
learning disability, it is not the
end of the journey for all the
families,' Mr goldring said. `We
will continue to fight for justice
for the families and, with
them, consider referring the
individual doctors who failed in
their duty of care to the general
Medical Council.'
rCn general secretary
Peter Carter said: `Specialist
learning disabilities nurses
provide excellent care for these
patients, but it is vital all health
workers also have the necessary
education and training to
effectively care for people with
learning disabilities.
Ombudsmen's report confirms Mencap's
claims of `appalling catalogue of neglect'
Find out more
`this would give all staff a
greater understanding of the
needs of this vulnerable group
of people and their carers.
the standard of care afforded
to these patients was nothing
short of a disgrace.'
Lack of respect
Martin green, chief executive
of the English Community Care
Association said the report
showed systemic failures in
health and social care services
and a lack of dignity and
respect for people with learning
disabilities when they needed
it most.
`the report reveals a
shameful disregard for the
human rights and dignity
of people with learning
disabilities,' Mr green said. `it
raises some serious questions
for the health and social care
system that has had enormous
resources poured into training
on dignity and yet produces
this unacceptable response to
vulnerable people.'
Minister for Care Services
Phil Hope said preventable
deaths of people with learning
disabilities are `absolutely
unacceptable'.
`We are taking action
to ensure that people with
learning disabilities get the
equal access to the health
care that they deserve,' Mr
Hope said. `the nHS is already
improving the health of people
with learning disabilities, with
health checks and improved
training for staff.'
He said the Valuing People
Now strategy sets out a vision
for improving services across
health, housing, employment
and community care services.
Chair of the Care Quality
Commission (CQC) Barbara
Young said: `the report's
finding that health and care
organisations failed to live up
to human rights principles of
dignity and equality are most
disturbing.
`the CQC's approach will be
marked by its determination
to promote and protect the
rights and interests of everyone
who uses services and we have
a wide range of enforcement
powers to take action on
their behalf if services are
unacceptably poor.'
Martin Ryan died after a stroke. He
went 26 days in hospital without food
Mencap

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