Delivering Dignity Report Released By Commission

Medical law specialists at Irwin Mitchell have welcomed a new report which has demanded a ‘major cultural shift’ in care homes and hospitals to improve the standards of treatment available to elderly people.

Compiled by the independent Commission on Improving Dignity in Care for Older People, the Delivering Dignity report has called on ministers to ensure people receiving care are protected by human rights legislation.

The body, which was formed by the organisations including the NHS Confederation and Age UK, also stated that ‘always events’ should be introduced to provide care homes and hospitals with clear, basic rules they need to meet in relation to dignified care.

Irwin Mitchell’s Medical Law and Patients’ Rights team have vast experience of acting for the families of vulnerable people who have suffered injury or neglect due to basic failings in the care they received in both hospitals and care homes.

Jonathan Peacock, a Partner at the firm’s Bristol office, acted for the families of elderly people who suffered as a result of failings at the Maypole Nursing Home in Birmingham.

Commenting on this new report, he said: “All vulnerable members of society deserve the best possible care, but sadly we have seen numerous occasions when failures to provide such standards have had tragic consequences.

“This cannot be allowed to happen again and the findings of this report are a clear signpost towards making huge improvements that many will benefit from.

“Lessons need to be learned from the past and we hope that ministers serious consider these findings to ensure that all older people who receive care are getting the support that they often desperately need to get the best from life.”