Had a discussion with Rich earlier about calling this post the ‘Death Review’. Or the ‘Review of Deaths’. One of those random ‘eeek.. should we dress death up in something a bit less in your face’ type chats. But, on balance, gonna stick with the Death Review. Because that’s what it is.
We’ve had #deathbyindifference. The terrible findings of the Confidential Inquiry into the Premature Deaths of Learning Disabled People (CIPOLD). We know learning disabled people die prematurely. We know LB died prematurely [he died??] We know Sloven Health badged his death ‘natural causes’ before the findings of the postmortem were released. We know another patient died of cancer days after LB. A patient who probably didn’t receive the kind of palliative care other patients anticipate receiving.
Barbaric, pretty unspeakable, type death stuff.
The #justiceforLB campaign aims (bit of a thrown together document with hindsight but we’re rolling with it) – The Connor Manifesto – include a request for an independent investigation into other deaths that occurred in Sloven learning disability and mental health provision. A request agreed and actioned by the Real David Nicholson before his departure from the pastures of NHS England.
The scope for this work has now been produced and is out for tender. The work is not about pursuing Sloven blood. It’s about ultimately trying to identify, understand and remedy systemic failings across health and social care. A thorough, committed and considered review of something that should concern everyone. As the specification states; this work will further ‘represent an early implementation of recent CIPOLD proposals’ and ‘feed in to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission Inquiry into the non-natural deaths of people with mental health conditions in state detention’.
This is pretty damn cool in the circumstances. Good for David Nicholson and NHS England who seem to be committed to making effective change for learning disabled people.
Here in the Justice Shed we’re giving this a half tick on our flip chart. Unlike the higher levels of Sloven Health, we ain’t swayed by talk. We want to see the walk. But we’re cautiously optimistic.
mydaftlife 
Sara
your lovely beautiful golden boy died.
Your fight and your courage is a light and a hope being followed so desperately, by all us whose boys and girls have not yet died through this denied neglect and worse, but whose happiness and health and safety is daily perched on the abyss..
How can it be that any LA can cut safe care knowingly; knowing that people may die because they (LA) provide no access to health care or safe support for people who cannot do it without assistance? That care managers can tell people who cannot in a million years do it themselves, to ‘do it your self’. And a beautiful boy or daughter, knows every frightened day that he or she has failed again, for he/she cannot….
Then old (‘over protective and disabling’) mum or dad, tries to engage the LA in recognising this, and the LA sniffs with disdain and walks off……..with better things to do……
Then the same old oldie’s having humbly over and over begged to be heard, and then having accessed every helpful relationship, and legal and otherwise channel and then has walked, driven, swum, clambered and stumbled along them, sits dumbly impotent,..my boy my girl going down.every day, .. and the LA finally says (‘there have been issues..but they are none of your business;) .in factreality saying ‘ hey you ancient pain in our butt, don’t take us on for we are bigger than you, and we can run you (literally) into the ground’
Sara, you lovely, humungously brave woman. So many of us oldie parents salute you and admire you. You are who we once were. We, the the scared old and anonymous cannot name the NHS Trust or the LA, for they have not yet killed our children, and it keeps us powerless and it diminishes us…… for we fail our children every day ….
Bless you.
Margot I endorse everything you say about Sarah and her family’s courageous fight for justice for Connor. I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose your child especially when the death was preventable or more horrible still having to listen to such patronising shit from the perpetrators. Please let Connor’s legacy be that his mother’s fight for truth will go on to benefit all people with a learning disability.
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