Dear Sir Keir
Rights for Residents ambassador Ruthie Henshall and co-founders Jenny Morrison and Diane Mayhew, have written an open letter to the Labour leader, headed PLEASE DON’T LET ME DIE ALONE.
We were thrilled to hear you pledge support for our campaign for Gloria’s Law and want to thank you for recognising the work of the “tireless campaigners who have continued to fight on this issue, week in, week out”.
We’re still living with the trauma of what happened to our loved ones, having witnessed the catastrophic impact that forced separation had on them during the pandemic.
Being denied the opportunity to say goodbye, or hold their hand at the end of life, is something we’ll never forget and that no one should ever face again. We cannot risk history being repeated.
That’s why we’re urging you to make your support for Gloria’s Law a manifesto commitment. This would give all those in health and care settings a legal right to be supported by loved ones when they’re at their most vulnerable.
Whatever’s happening in the world outside, if we’re in a care home or hospital, we should have the right to be supported by the person who knows us best. We need to know that someone we love and trust can always advocate for us, and guidance should never dictate when we can be supported by our closest relative or friend. These things are not a given. The pandemic showed how we can be stripped of our rights at any time.
Support for Gloria’s Law has already been debated in Parliament and has huge cross-party support.
As an amendment to the existing National Health Service Act, Gloria’s Law could be actioned quickly and easily and would cost nothing to implement.
More than 70 major charities, health organisations, corporate care providers and care associations have also publicly signed up in support of this legal right.
Insurance policies protect us against unforeseen emergencies and relieve some of the stress that comes with worrying about the future. Removing this anxiety would be Labour’s insurance policy to the nation. The premium for Gloria’s Law would cost nothing yet the benefits to all of us are invaluable.
While we can’t change the past, we can affect the future. If something positive could come from our own harrowing experiences, it would offer some comfort knowing that our loved ones have not died in vain.
On behalf of the thousands of affected families up and down the country who continue to campaign on this issue, will you commit to making Gloria’s Law a Labour manifesto pledge?