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“A disturbing picture of the abuse and neglect suffered by elderly people in care homes and hospitals is revealed today in a parliamentary report.” (Daily Telegraph, 15 Aug 07). “The Joint Committee on Human Rights condemns the Government for failing to provide ‘leadership and guidance’ and says ‘an entire culture change’ is needed to transform the system.”
Rachel Hurst, writing in Disability Now, Aug 2007, reported:
“In 2002 the Court of Appeal judged that a private entity, even though carrying out the work of a public authority, was not bound by the Human Rights Act.” This was recently confirmed, leaving disabled and elderly people in a vulnerable position.
“Internal complaints often bring retribution. Only when rights-based law is invoked will service providers begin to understand that the constraints imposed on them by competitive tendering, threats of commercial take-overs and government abnegation of their responsibilities, may risk turning honest endeavours to make a home for disabled people into a place of degrading and inhuman treatment.”
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