Tag Archives: ukcuts
Government condemns ‘shocking’ Winterbourne View abuse
Government condemns ‘shocking’ Winterbourne View abuse
Secret filming at Winterbourne View appears to show patients being physically and verbally abused
A pattern of abuse at a residential hospital uncovered by BBC Panorama has been condemned as “shocking” by the government.
It comes after Bristol police arrested and later bailed four people over the treatment of patients with learning difficulties at Winterbourne View.
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said he was determined to strengthen safeguards for vulnerable adults.
NHS South West said it had been “appalled” by the issues raised.
Dignity in old age comes at a high price
Dignity in old age comes at a high price
Without radical reform of the way the elderly are cared for, we face an uncertain future, writes Joan Bakewell.
By Joan Bakewell
12:00AM BST 01 Jun 2011
Although many of us knew it was coming, we didn’t expect it to arrive quite so soon. But here the crisis is, presenting us with exactly the problem this country has long failed to face when it comes to caring for the elderly.
800,000 ‘not given help with social care’
800,000 ‘not given help with social care’
By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News
Age UK says 800,000 people are excluded from the system – and the figure is set to top one million within four years.
It said budgets had hardly risen in recent years even before the squeeze, despite the ageing population.
The charity renewed its call for an overhaul of the system, something ministers are looking at.
Funding rise
Social care in England is means-tested, which means those with savings of over £23,250 are excluded.
But councils have also been making it more difficult for those who do meet the income threshold to get care, by tightening the eligibility criteria.
Six years ago, half of councils provided support to people with moderate needs, but that figure has now dropped to 18%.
It means only 1.2 million are getting formal care either at home or in a care home – although some of these are being forced to pay for the services themselves anyway, as they exceed the income cap.
