Every care home should have CCTV to stop abuse

COMMENT

EXCLUSIVE

CCTV cameras in every care home could be a “powerful tool” to prevent abuse or neglect of elderly residents and improve safety and security, MPs were told.

Former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve, who has praised the Daily Express for highlighting the issue, told a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday that CCTV would reassure residents and families, deter intruders and let care home managers review problems and help staff learn from errors.

Mr Grieve said: “CCTV is sometimes seen as the spy, but that’s not the intention. It will provide a powerful tool, I think, for helping prevent abuse and improve standards.”

He cited evidence after a campaign led by Jayne Connery in his constituency of Beaconsfield, Bucks, that more care homes backed CCTV.

Ms Connery, who founded Care Campaign For The Vulnerable, said CCTV would “help safeguard those who are no longer able to safeguard themselves”.

Decision

But shadow health and social care minster Julie Cooper warned cameras were “a search perhaps for a quick fix” and called for a reversal of funding cuts.

Care minister Caroline Dinenage said until more evidence was available “the decision to install CCTV should at this time be one for the care home provider”.

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The link is https://petition.parliament. uk/petitions/220923 AN ANGRY son has told how his mother fell ill and died after being sent to a care home rated “inadequate”.

David Chesworth, 59, said widow Theresa, 90, spent a week being treated at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, before staff had her moved to nearby Station House Care Home to recuperate.

But unknown to him it was in special measures, having been rated “inadequate” 12 months before by inspectors.

After nine weeks she fell ill from pneumonia and died and despite visiting every day, Mr Chesworth, of Sandbach, Cheshire, claims he never found anybody in charge to speak to about her health or wellbeing.

Yesterday, on the day of his mother’s David, left, is angry at his mum Theresa’s referral JAYNE CONNERY cent of the British public supports.

While Care Campaign for the Vulnerable accepts that very many homes provide very good care, it is also concerned that a significant number are failing to deliver acceptable standards.

It is also unacceptable that elderly people living in funeral, he raged: “It makes me so angry that they put her in there when I now know it has had such bad reports. “Why did they send a 90-year-old woman to a place like that? She was a lovely, feisty woman. A mother and a grandmother.” Yesterday Care UK apologised that “care and communications fell short of expectations”, adding that Mrs Chesworth was seen several times every week by health professionals, including a GP. Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who manage Leighton Hospital in Crewe, said: “Station House has had no restrictions on admissions. “We would like to offer our condolences to Ms Chesworth’s family.” care homes sustain injuries that are “unexplained”.

I acknowledge a person’s privacy and dignity must be respected when such systems are used, but I also remind antagonists that Article 3 of the Human Rights Act requires that no person is subjected to degrading treatment or serious or cruel suffering.

CCTV systems will ensure that individual right is respected, as well as promoting openness and transparency in a sector that has on so many occasions lost public trust.