Dear Indy media readers I have been undertaking some some research into the deaths in health care.I would like your healp to have these issues raised.Because the local BBC will not.
1.Please contact the managing news editor
 mia.costello@bbc.co.uk
2.Ring their news desk at02380 632 811
3.Any other action you may think of.

The story
Dear Mia Costella
Ref Air time for relevant local information a complaint.

Solutions
1.Investigation of complaint
2.Air time on the issue.

The government have announced proposed changes in coroners reports that should give rise for concern
1.The Gosport Hospital Enquiry
2.The Shipman Enquiry
3.Death of British nationals abroad ie Diane etc
Other new forms of legal classification such as death by own hand instead of suicide.This is not something for the lawyers but a matter of concern for legitimate debate over a wide range of issues.Its against this background that I wrote the paper Exploiting the Elderly.Further I have approached the Shipman Family Medical team and one of the top criminal experts in the country.Something I would have thought relevant to a local audience.
I was sent a email by x to ring.I replied and rang the next day-she had gone home.I left a message and rang the next day.To busy .could I ring the next day 2pm.I was perfectly willing to do this.I emailed her and duly rang as arranged.Left her desk and no message.
I do not know if its me.If the material was too sensitive.If the young woman was sat on.If its just over-work.It leaves a bad impression of both her and your organisation.I have always felt that I enjoyed a good working relationship with yourself.I would appreciate it if you investigated the matter.
Yours sincerely
Patrick Cooper-Duffy.research on changes to the law and find the local BBC will not give me air time on the issue.
Could you please email 1.  mia.costello@bbc.co.uk managing editor radio solent.
2.Ring the News Desk on 02380 632 811
3.Any other action you feel relevant.

The story
A letter to the managing editor of the Solent Radio
The conclusion the investigation brought apologies and the view there was no place for the discussion now.I have said I intend to take it further.

Exploiting the Elderly A brief account of neglect and death in the uk health services
by Patrick Cooper-Duffy

This is a brief account of neglect and death in the uk health
services of the elderly.I deal with a recent case that of Violet
Townsend and with some of the financial and political
implications. I show some of the historical legacy and the
difficulties faced by reforming nurses egCharge Nurse Graham
Pink and medics eg Dr Rita Pal.For a good overview of some of
the issues I recommend reading Professor Mike Brogden
Geronticide-killing the elderly.

Violet Townsend was moved from the home where she had
lived for eight years when it raised its fees to £463 a week.
Gloucestershire social services moved a woman of 88 from her
nursing home to save the council £12 a day. Her doctor warned
the council that her life expectancy would be "considerably
reduced" if she was moved. He was ignored. She died five days
after leaving her old home 1
This information was carried in much greater depth by the
BBC.There had been widespread opposition by her family and
indeed the care home.The decision was taken by the
Department of S social Services against medical advice.
One of her relatives said: "Her doctor said she should not be
moved on account of her health but the DHSS thought differently
and she had to go." 2

The circumstances,the names ,the actors change but a
common story is a picture of routine neglect ,ill
treatment. 3.

History
A brief historical overview of the services in the uk might be At
the end of the second world war an amalgamation of the
muncipal,voluntary hospitals and private took place to form
the NHS. A variety of treatments remain available by
statemcharitable and private means.A review of those services
took place Recently under the Royal Commission into elderly
care. Basically that those services would be free which they
are now in Scotland and Wales but not in England. A four tier
system of care 1. Community 2, Care Home 3. Nursing
Home4.Hosptal care.

The provision for services are paid for via national insurance
and taxation. Those services of nursing are in theory to
be provided free but the system is complex. Hospital base
services are deemed to be free and some community services
may be. But in principle those services of community, care and
nursing are provided by a mixture of Local government and
private companies. Local government receiving a grant from
central government but also with the power to raise local
taxes or community charge.
This well publicised death of Violet Townsend comes at a time
when a health Ombudsman has recently found that elderly
people have been incorrectly charged for treatment that were
entitled too freely.They are infect owed money by the State.
4

Modern workhouses

From history we know that the workhouse was an
administrative means of killing off the poor and elderly. Are we
any better with the the warehousing of the elderly through the
residential and nursing home care services?

This is an area that is little discussed, and the marginalization
of ethnic minorities is ignored. One of the issues that is
covered up is the 30,000 people sent to nursing homes, even
though they warranted free health care under the National
Health Service. This is both unfair and unlawful.

Add to this injustice the removal of psychiatric, social and
rehabilitative services. Then they merely provide warehousing
spaces for the young who have become physically disabled by
car and work accidents. The same is true for head injury
victims, stroke victims, the learning disabled, and among the
fragile or demented elderly. What is going to happen? 5.
But this institutional or systematic abuse of the elderly is not
new. Some of which is documented from 1967.6,
A disturbing indictment of seven hospitals by
doctors, nurses and patients, revealing conditions of neglect
and incidents of ill-treatment and brutality.There were
Parliamentary debates and eventually to the appointment of
seven 'independent committees of enquiry' to look into the
allegations concerning the seven hospitals and an Ombudsmen
were finally set up by the National Health Service
Reorganisation Act 1973 6.
Even where nurses and medical staff blow the whistle the
abuses continue almost unabated. Not only in the NHS but
through the private care home industry.7Infact the death of a
lord in a private health institutiont prompted legislation to
better regulate the private health care industry by his wife who
happened to sit in the house of Lords 8. It could be argued that
ill treatment and neglect remain unchanged this was the
treatment of charge nurse G Pink9and indeed extended to the
ill treatment and abuse of Dr Ita Pal10.

Its my contention that many misconceptions exist concerning
the care of the elderly in the UK and in turn the manipulation of
public opinion for example. A misconception is that much of
the care is private? However 80 % of the patients or residents
are funded from taxation.
Yet when many of the beds were cut the greatest number
came from the local authority services. Creating an opportunity
for the private sector to profit from the bed losses. Some of the
home owners may even move the use of their property from
bed and breakfast to elderly care depending on profit. When
some additional money £45 million became available for the
most part it was diverted into the pockets of the home owners.

Much has been made of bed blocking a figure is given of 4000
by elderly residents but little is done of the 40,000 that are
forced into elderly care homes each year incorrectly. Nor
indeed is there much comment or action of the 100,000 stroke
patients each year.Inspite of a Royal Commission on elderly
care little has been done.
Exploitation of the Elderly. 2
The care in the community improvement programme has been
ditched. To add insult to injury it has been recently found that
many elderly people have been charged incorrectly. After much
hot air in the 1970s it could be argued that elderly care has not
moved further an inch. Is the truth that no body cares very
much? The role of labour is little considered.The ill health and
the stress of working these services
Against a background of routine bullying,threats,silencing and
intimidation.There needs to better information and
stratergies.Some of this is now provided at Bully on Line.I do
not see how care for the elderly can be improved with out
better attention to the needs of the humans providing that
care. A strong denial mechanism is at work and Tim
Fields (Bully in Sight) is to be thanked along with others for
bringing this into public discussion12

I would suggest that Whistlblowing legislation has not
improved the situation. Indeed the whistblowers are as ill
treated and isolated as ever.This is a world wide problem and
those seeking change need to know what they are up against
and indeed survive.13New thinking and new organisations are
needed.Part of the solution may be new trade union bodies
coupled with social justice movements.
There needs to be a move for Democracy in health care, coupled
with a Free flow of information and Open press. Reformers may
have to give up their belief in the justice in the system and find
new ways about bringing social change.


References
1. Socialist worker Friday 21st 2003
2, Wednesday, 12 February, 2003, 21:12 GMT BBC News on line
3. Questions of care a review of Mrs Usable Louis (kit) Keen written by her son Peter
Keen Dec 1995
Liz Dolman Sunday Telegraph The Ombudsman report is just what the Dr ordered Feb.
23rd 2003
5. NEWS & LETTERS, March 2002
6. Sans everythingSans Everything, a collection of essays and articles published in 1967
7.Westminster Health Care(Health chief backs Sunday Express probe into misery at
nursing home April 14th 002
8Reader Digest Jan 001
9 Graham Pink see ethics in health care www.Freedomtocare.org
10Dr Rita Pal www.medical neglect org.
11Cary L. Cooper and Naomi Swanson, Workplace violence in the health sector -
State of the Art, ILO, WHO, ICN and PSI 2002. ISBN 92-2-113237-4; Vittorio
di Martino, Workplace violence in the health sector - Country case studies
(Brazil, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand, and an
additional Australian study), Synthesis report, ILO, WHO, ICN and PSI 2002.
ISBN 92-2-113441-5.
12.Tim Fields Bully in Sight ISBN 0952912 www.successunlimited.co.uk
13.B Martin The Whistleblowers Handbook ISBN 0-85881-167-7