NHS accused over deaths of disabled patients – Health professionals need training and I’m a Person Too! can help.

 

Today the NHS is accused of causing or contributing to the deaths of at least 74 patients with a learning disability because of poor care that reveals enduring “institutional discrimination” among doctors and nurses.

The 74 vulnerable patients’ deaths over the past decade were either caused or complicated by mistakes in hospitals and decisions by staff who failed to treat them properly and displayed ignorance or indifference to their plight, according to the report issued by Mencap.

Minister Paul Burstow stated that: “Those providing care – whether NHS, charity or private sector – have a duty to make sure that care is high quality and safe.”

Professor Steve Field, chair of the NHS Future Forum, which advises the government on health policy, backed Mencap’s demand for NHS staff to undergo fuller training to help them better understand such patients and improve their communication with them. “During our listening exercise we heard from patients and staff that health professionals working in the NHS need better training in dealing with such complex and challenging patients,” Field said

I’m a Person Too! is an award winning training organisation which specialises in delivering training to health professionals. To date we have trained over 2000 people within the health sector enabling health professionals to have a greater understanding of learning disabilities to ensure the service they offer truly meets the needs of disabled people.

To find out more about I’m a Person Too! please visit our website www.imapersontoo.org.uk or call us on 0303 123 1107