Read our letter in The Telegraph calling for human rights in healthcare

The Telegraph today published a joint letter from the British Institute for Human Rights, Birthrights and others calling for a human rights approach to healthcare after the Mid-Staffs report. Below is the letter as it appeared in today’s Telegraph Letter Page (26 March 2013). It can also be accessed online here. You can read our original post on Mid-Staffs here.

Right to dignified care

SIR – As groups working for thousands of people across Britain who rely on health and social care services, we welcome the Government’s engagement with the Francis Report. What happened in Staffordshire Hospital shows how target-driven cultures, indifference and neglect can deny our most basic human rights.

Sadly, such inhuman and degrading treatment is becoming part of an all too long line of breakdowns in the care system.

In our experience, health services are at their best when they are delivered in a way that respects our human rights, providing a safety net for all.
A human rights approach supports the culture change needed to prioritise people over targets, empowers staff to deliver dignified services and prevent harm, and ultimately ensures patients have legal rights to seek accountability and justice.

The care system is at a watershed moment. As practitioners, advocates and users of services we urge the Government to put human rights at the heart of compassionate health care.

Stephen Bowen
Director, British Institute of Human Rights

Elizabeth Williams
Chief Executive, East Lancashire Advocacy Service