By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.
Care home ‘zombies’
Thousands of older people in residential and nursing homes are being sedated for no apparent medical reason.
As many as 88,000 older people are being kept under a "chemical cosh", turned into zombies and stripped of their dignity simply to make life easier for their carers, a report claims.
Between 1999 and 2000, the number of prescriptions for anti psychotic drugs for the over 60s rose by around 70 per cent from 252,700 to 428,800, says the report compiled by MP Paul Burstow.
The report cites research suggesting that 10 per cent of residents in care homes have psychotic symptoms, but around 30 per cent are treated for them.
Burstow’s report warns: "As many as one in five admissions to hospital are linked to inappropriate drug therapy."
Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 5 December page 33
Stowaway fines for hauliers to be outlawed by court
A high court judge is expected to declare today that the government’s policy aimed at stemming the flow of illegal immigrants is unlawful.
The system of fining lorry drivers £2,000 per stowaway they carry into the country is in direct contravention of European legislation, according to Mr Justice Sullivan.
The government is likely to ask for a stay of execution pending an appeal, but the judge could refuse.
It is understood that £8 million of fines have been levied on hauliers after immigrants were found in vehicles, and around £1 million on the freight company English, Welsh and Scottish.
Source:- The Independent Wednesday 5 December page 2
Bleach drink kills woman in care
An 80-year-old woman in care has died and five residents have been left in a critical condition after drinking a bleach like liquid they were given.
A care assistant is thought to have confused two similarly packaged products and mistaken the dishwasher rinse with a blackcurrant cordial.
Ten older women at Lady Astor Court, a private care home in Slough, are thought to have been given the liquid.
Joan Walters has died, while two remained seriously ill. Three residents were stable in hospital. Others were treated by a doctor.
Six members of staff have been suspended and the placement of new clients by Slough council has been temporarily suspended while an internal inquiry takes place.
Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 5 December page 5
Paper fined for Bulger order breach
The publishers of the Manchester Evening News have been fined £30,000 yesterday for contempt of court in breaching an injunction to protect the two killers of James Bulger.
President of the high court family division Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss ruled that information printed on the day Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were due to be released in June was enough to lead anyone with local knowledge to identify where they were being held in secure units.
Greater Manchester Newspapers Ltd now face costs of more than £150,000 unless the ruling is overturned in an appeal. The company was ordered to pay the attorney general’s costs of £43,000 and its own legal costs are estimated to be £80,000.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 5 December page 2
Milburn BUPA deal ‘breaks election pledge’
Alan Milburn was accused of breaking an election pledge not to let private clinical staff run "express surgery" units, after he struck a deal with Bupa yesterday.
Public sector unions called the health secretary’s decision to use a private hospital in Surrey as the first fast-track centre a "declaration of war".
Milburn was also criticised for the timing of the announcement – a week after the Chancellor played down the role of the private sector in the NHS.
The deal, if concluded will offer a further 5,000 operations a year for NHS patients through an express surgery unit at East Surrey hospital.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 5 December page 6
No reason for council tax rise, says Byers
Council taxes will be increased next year to pay for nursing care of older people, it was claimed last night.
Stephen Byers, secretary of state for transport, local government and the regions, told MPs yesterday that total support for local councils in England next year would be £47.3 billion, which is a 7.4 per cent increase. But only £9.2 billion from the local authority grants will go towards social services for older people, children and people with a disability.
Byers told Parliament "with these grant increases", he could see no reason for large council tax increases next year.
But local authorities claimed he had not listened to their warnings about the strains on social services departments.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 5 December page 8
Whiting breaks silence in Sarah Payne trial
The man accused of murdering Sarah Payne said he had nothing whatsoever to do with her kidnapping, killing and burial.
Roy Whiting said it was a coincidence that he had a white van fitting the description of one seen by Sarah’s brother Lee at the time of her disappearance, and a red and black shirt and white t-shirt matching those Lee claimed Sarah’s abductor had worn.
It was also coincidence he had visited three locations where children could be found playing on the day she disappeared, and that he was driving with a knife, rope and baby oil in his van.
Whiting said "memory blanks" accounted for his failure to offer an alibi.
He denied murder and kidnap.
The trial continues.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 5 December page 9
Guardian Society
Going quietly
The scandal of how older people in care are being prescribed drugs that they may not need is one that has gone unheeded for far too long, says a new report. James Meikle on the problems of monitoring medication policy inside care homes.
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 December page 2-3
Neglect charge
Administration of ECT ‘too variable’
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 December page 4
All eyes on one pot
Community projects in deprived areas could lose funding
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 December page 4
Quick thinking
Mike George reports on how intermediate care services in Sheffield are helping to keep older people out of hospital
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 December page 92-91
Putting on the Ritz
YMCA angered by government aide’s sound bite on NHS
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 5 December page 91
Scottish newspapers
Crimes of violence increase
Crimes of violence in the west of Scotland have increased by 12.3 per cent in the first half of the year, according to official figures which will be presented to Strathclyde Police Board tomorrow.
Race crime, including violent attacks, is also continuing to rise having doubled in recent months. Overall crime has increased by 5.4 per cent indicating that Strathclyde is failing to meet Scottish executive targets to reduce crime by 2 per cent each year.
Source:- The Herald Wednesday 5 December page 2
Teacher fails to win job back
The teacher found guilty of assaulting his daughter in a dentist’s waiting room last Christmas, who subsequently won an appeal against being struck off the teaching register by the General Teaching Council, will not be given a teaching post by his employer, North Lanarkshire Council.
The man will continue to be employed by the council but not in a teaching capacity. It is believed to be the first time a teacher has been reinstated by the GTC and then refused a teaching post by a local authority.
Source:- The Scotsman Wednesday 5 December page 1
Care worker loses sacking case
North Lanarkshire care worker, Sinclair Upton, has failed to win his unfair sacking case having been dismissed by the council for attempting to pretend he was a social worker in order to access files held on his nephew.
Upton, a care worker at a home for older people, had been wrongly issued with an ID card for a social worker. In visiting his nephew in a drugs rehabilitation unit he wore his ID in a prominent place, described himself as an employee of the social work department and asked for the confidential file. An employment tribunal in Glasgow found in favour of North Lanarkshire council.
Source:- The Herald Wednesday 5 December page 7
