More on What Happenned to Martin Ryan

A few days ago I shared with you the horrific death by neglect of Martin Ryan. I have had a chance to see the report by Mencap, Death by indifference,that looks at his death in 2005 as well those of 5 others. It is a glaring indictment of the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS). I have not been able to stomach it in its entirety yet. I have only been able to read a rew parts because of how it just disgusts me. to see this people so cruelly treated.

A Mencap spokesman told the Telegraph: "These people were completely and unacceptably failed by the treatment they received. It was a catalogue of disasters and poor treatment of very vulnerable people who deserved so much more. We are hoping that the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman gets justice for the families of these patients. It would be irrational and perverse to say anything other than that there were grotesque failures for these people."

Mark Goldring, Mencap's chief executive, had this to say: "Our report exposed the horrific deaths of six people with a learning disability who died unnecessarily in NHS care. We have fought and will continue our fight for justice for their families. The reports have a duty to challenge complacency, where it has been shown to exist within the health service, when treating people with a learning disability and must hold individuals to account for their actions."

Bioethicist Wesley Smith: “Given the indifference to the high eugenic abortion rate, the respect in the media for people like Peter Singer who asserts it is okay for parents to kill babies born with Down, there is a (perhaps unconscious) mindset afoot that people like Martin [one of the disabled people in the Mencap report] should never be born.”

There was an inquiry into the report, chaired by Sir Jonathan Michael, a former chief executive of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It upheld Mencap's claims. Talking about the cases in the report, Michael said that they were "by no means isolated." He also called for "essential changes" in the NHS.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is also looking into the report & is expected to issue a verdict later this month. It will be interesting to see what they do or don't admit to. & what is done to follow up.

While Wesley Smith's comments focus on what occured in the UK, they should also serve as a warning to us. That mindset is just as prevailent here in the USA. Remember that 80-90% of Down syndrome children are now being murdered in the womb. & that in some places where assisted suicide is legal, the state government is refusing to pay for treatment of the elderly & actually encouraging them to commit suicide. We may not have socialized medicine to the extent they do in the UK, but it is already happening here.

With all the debate on health care we need to be sure that whatever does finally get passed, it ensures that this mindset doesn't win. Given that that mindset is a part of the bigger "culture of death" mindset, it will be difficult. Any evidence of support of actions like these will be carefully buried to prevent it being noticed by a cursory reading. & we need to be especuially careful to see that whatever does come up doesn't get rushed through Congress to prevent an in depth reading of it.

Source: U.K. Advocacy Group Details Horrific Pattern of Neglect of Patients with Disabilities