Care workers are filmed slapping brain-damaged patient at private hospital

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Care workers are filmed slapping brain-damaged patient at private hospital
Rita Page, 68, and Lynette Crook, 33, plead guilty to charges related to ill-treatment of patient after being secretly filmed

Two care workers at a £3,000-a-week private hospital have been caught on film slapping, jabbing and humiliating a brain-damaged patient as he lay groaning in bed.

Rita Page, 68, and Lynette Crook, 33, were secretly filmed by the victim's family smacking the young victim's legs and swearing at him as they changed his bedding at the Priory Highbank specialist hospital for treatment of neurological disorders in Bury, Greater Manchester.

The film emerged as the pair pleaded guilty to charges of ill-treatment of the vulnerable patient on the first day of their trial at Bolton crown court.

On the secret tape, Page could be heard saying: "You won't beat us, bastard. There's this very fine line between abuse and neglect. Don't you dare be sick on me boy, don't you dare – you dirty, scummy boy."

The footage was filmed between 28 August and 19 September 2012 by the patient's family, who were worried about his treatment at the privately run hospital.

Believing their concerns had not been addressed by senior staff, they hid secret surveillance cameras around the man's room at the hospital.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had suffered brain damage following an accident when he was younger.

After the abusers submitted their guilty pleas, the young man's uncle called for surveillance cameras to protect vulnerable patients, saying: "If you have nothing to be ashamed of then it won't be an intrusion."

Page, from Bury, and Crook, of Ramsbottom, were suspended from their duties and were arrested after the footage was handed over to police.

Both were bailed pending a sentencing hearing in May but a judge warned them immediate custody was likely.

Page pleaded guilty to two charges relating to use of abusive language and slapping the patient's leg during a struggle when she put a pillow between his legs.

Crook pleaded guilty to three charges relating to her jabbing the patient in the torso and head with a pen while he was asleep, using abusive language and slapping his leg while taking his blood pressure.

Seven other charges will lie on file.

Speaking after the case, Malcolm Bower-Brown, regional director for the Care Quality Commission, said: "We are aware of this shocking case involving two former employees of the Priory Highbank Centre in Bury. Our thoughts today are with the victim of this dreadful abuse, and their family.

"Our most recent inspection in February 2014 found the home to be meeting the national standards reviewed. However, we continue to monitor the position carefully and will not hesitate to take any regulatory action necessary to ensure residents receive the service they are entitled to expect."

A spokesman for Priory Highbank hospital said: "Everyone at the company deeply regrets the unacceptable actions of these two members of staff, both of whom had over 10 years' service and previously unblemished records.

"The company will not tolerate behaviour of this nature and both healthcare assistants have been dismissed for gross misconduct. This was an isolated incident and does not represent the high standards at this otherwise excellent hospital."

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/25/care-workers-filmed-slapping-brain-damaged-patient

Horrible people

But BA, PRIVATE hospital, WHITE careworkers, how are you going to handle that, because it's only foreigners isn't it?

 

harvesmom wrote:The version of this story I read earlier in the week (in the Daily Mail so it must be true....) said that they had both got long, previously unblemished records with the care home, for which you can read this is the first time they have been caught, and also a member of this lads family had been banned from the premises for voicing his concerns previously to the Management. IF this is true, then not only should these women be in the dock but also their immediate superiors and management who clearly swept the complaints under the carpet.

Yey Harvesmom - good to see you.

Yes I do totally agree and it is scary to think that family making complaints get banned from care premises.

Have to agree with that as well, as the complaints were not only made but completely disregarded, the home is seriously at fault.

harvesmom wrote:The version of this story I read earlier in the week (in the Daily Mail so it must be true....) said that they had both got long, previously unblemished records with the care home, for which you can read this is the first time they have been caught, and also a member of this lads family had been banned from the premises for voicing his concerns previously to the Management. IF this is true, then not only should these women be in the dock but also their immediate superiors and management who clearly swept the complaints under the carpet.

This doent suprise me harves, care homes and private nurseries are always striving to keep up a facade so they keep coining in the money.
See UK blotter section for my story on nurseries.  

Hi Sphinx, good to see you again, its like an old school reunion on here tonight lol!

I agree Edds, its always all about the money, but how do you stop this happening? I have no doubt this is not an isolated incident, putting video cameras in rooms is not really an option, there are privacy issues with that (obviously I mean for the patient). So how do you police it?

harvesmom wrote:Hi Sphinx, good to see you again, its like an old school reunion on here tonight lol!

I agree Edds, its always all about the money, but how do you stop this happening? I have no doubt this is not an isolated incident, putting video cameras in rooms is not really an option, there are privacy issues with that (obviously I mean for the patient). So how do you police it?

Well Ofsted obviously are the body for checking nurseries but even so, they announce their impending visit so thats a total waste of time imo

Surprise visist are one way for care homes and nurseries etc or an independent body for complaints that are acted upon immediately. Otherwise i just dont know?

I think an essential part is a return to practical based training for nursing staff. The way it is now the registered staff have learned in an academic environment and are divorced from the practical caring side while the practical "caring" side is done by unregistered minimally trained staff.

Once upon a time the role done by care assistants would have been done by SRNs - who would have had 2 years practical training and assessment in a hospital, and possibly nursing auxiliaries who would be similar to todays care assistants but supervised by SRNs. Now you have the RGNs who are registered but the layer that used to be SRNs is not registered and has not official code of practice.

Sad to say but this is probably a regular occurence in many hospitals, private or funded by taxpayers.

Where I live, a few years ago there was a 'fight club' of sorts.. several of the caretakers in the state run home would pit the mentally and physically handicapped against eachother and goad them into fighting. It went on for quite some time until someones phone got left behind, with video footage of the residents' bouts on it. I think there were 4 or 5 caretakers reaponsible for the fights who were all prosecuted and eventually jailed or given loads of trouble for their actions.

Pitiful, but again, probably something that happens in loads of other homes across the planet. Its unfortunate that there is not a more rigorous system of checks and balances in place to prevent shit (sorry for the foul word but it is the only descriptor I can manage at the momebt) like this from happening.

sphinx wrote:I think an essential part is a return to practical based training for nursing staff.  The way it is now the registered staff have learned in an academic environment and are divorced from the practical caring side while the practical "caring" side is done by unregistered minimally trained staff.

Once upon a time the role done by care assistants would have been done by SRNs - who would have had 2 years practical training and assessment in a hospital, and possibly nursing auxiliaries who would be similar to todays care assistants but supervised by SRNs.   Now you have the RGNs who are registered but the layer that used to be SRNs is not registered and has not official code of practice.

How would any of that stop abuse though Sphinx?

I believe it is something that is naturally reduced with proper training and professional registration.

I mean a care assistant who does it may loose their job, they may be banned from care work but those are general things. A registered nurse - either a current RGN or even the old SNRs have/had a professional registration - their names were on a list, a professional register - and they were bound by the rules of that. As well as loosing their job and being banned from work they could be kicked off the register.

It is a sort of personal pride thing - the outright criminals are not going to be affected but when it comes to situations like the above the awareness of professional responsibility can be enough to stop the sort of mindless brain dead behaviour exhibited.

I dont think I have explained that very well - am tired tonight and heading for bed soon.

sphinx wrote:I believe it is something that is naturally reduced with proper training and professional registration.

I mean a care assistant who does it may loose their job, they may be banned from care work but those are general things.  A registered nurse - either a current RGN or even the old SNRs have/had a professional registration - their names were on a list, a professional register - and they were bound by the rules of that.  As well as loosing their job and being banned from work they could be kicked off the register.

It is a sort of personal pride thing - the outright criminals are not going to be affected but when it comes to situations like the above the awareness of professional responsibility can be enough to stop the sort of mindless brain dead behaviour exhibited.

I dont think I have explained that very well - am tired tonight and heading for bed soon.

I knew what you meant.
Thing is, if you're mad or evil, (and you have to be mad or evil to abuse the vulnerable), it doesn't matter what qualifications you have, you're still going to act madly evil or evilly mad.

sphinx wrote:I believe it is something that is naturally reduced with proper training and professional registration.

I mean a care assistant who does it may loose their job, they may be banned from care work but those are general things.  A registered nurse - either a current RGN or even the old SNRs have/had a professional registration - their names were on a list, a professional register - and they were bound by the rules of that.  As well as loosing their job and being banned from work they could be kicked off the register.

It is a sort of personal pride thing - the outright criminals are not going to be affected but when it comes to situations like the above the awareness of professional responsibility can be enough to stop the sort of mindless brain dead behaviour exhibited.

I dont think I have explained that very well - am tired tonight and heading for bed soon.

It boils down to money again though, I would imagine there is a huge difference in the rates of pay between a qualified nurse and a care assistant.

The guilty women have been jailed http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2619416/Two-care-workers-caught-abusing-quadriplegic-man-secret-cameras-set-family-jailed-seven-months.html

sphinx wrote:The guilty women have been jailed http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2619416/Two-care-workers-caught-abusing-quadriplegic-man-secret-cameras-set-family-jailed-seven-months.html

Not long enough but at least they were jailed