After Winterbourne View, has Tory NHS privatisation put more vulnerable people at risk?

Last Updated: May 31, 2016By
11 care workers were arrested after secret filming by the BBC's Panorama at Winterbourne View, near Bristol [Image: Avon and Somerset Police].

11 care workers were arrested after secret filming by the BBC’s Panorama at Winterbourne View, near Bristol [Image: Avon and Somerset Police].

Could there be more eloquent evidence of the worthlessness of Conservative promises?

David Cameron promised action to prevent further abuses like those at Winterbourne View – in 2011.

Five years later, we are still waiting.

Tories act on promises made to themselves, not to others.

The response from the Department of Health would be laughable, if the matter were less serious:

“NHS England acknowledged the the progress to date “hasn’t been quick enough” and it “sympathised with the frustrations expressed” but a spokeswoman said a “real difference” would be seen over the coming months.”

This is the NHS England that, under the Conservatives, has privatised more than £27 billion worth of services, putting millions of patients in private hands – just as they were at Winterbourne View.

And why?

Because Tories want to make money from the health service. Your care, and that of your relatives, means nothing to them.

Families of victims of the Winterbourne View scandal have written to the prime minister demanding he shuts outdated care home institutions.

They said there is “painfully slow lack of change”, five years after abuse at the former private hospital near Bristol was exposed by BBC Panorama.

Some 3,500 vulnerable people with learning disabilities are still resident at inpatient units.

NHS England admits it is still taking too long to review their care.

Undercover filming showed people with learning disabilities and autism being taunted, bullied and abused at the now closed Winterbourne View Hospital.

The letter has been signed by Steve Sollars, Ann Earley, Wendy Fiander and Claire and Emma Garrod, whose family members were all residents at Winterbourne View.

It is supported by Dr Margaret Flynn, the author of the Winterbourne View serious case review, Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap and Vivien Cooper, chief executive of The Challenging Behaviour Foundation.

Source: Winterbourne View: Families demand action five years on from Panorama – BBC News

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5 Comments

  1. jeffrey davies May 31, 2016 at 2:28 pm - Reply

    least we forget he did state that the nhs was safe in his hands whot a laugh hay

    • Dez May 31, 2016 at 3:41 pm - Reply

      What that useless tosser really meant was that his and his mates commercial interests in all public services was safe in his hands. The plebs are just the means to his ends as with bailing out his banking friends, using public money, and not changing a thing. And then selling these useless gambling machines back to their original owners and markets at bargain basement prices. Bloody greedy asset strippers, the lot of them.

  2. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) May 31, 2016 at 4:49 pm - Reply

    The solution to Tory deception and Tory greed is in the hands of the electorate. We should all be getting behind Jeremy and giving him more support. Sitting back and letting others do the work is not only unfair but dangerous for health!

  3. Brian May 31, 2016 at 6:13 pm - Reply

    Yes, but have not lessons been learned.

    • Mike Sivier May 31, 2016 at 9:52 pm - Reply

      If they have, then why have those lessons not been put into practice?

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