A scandal of poor care

Abstract

It is remarkable that anyone with learning disabilities has ever received good care from the NHS. According to the Michael report, published last week, services are not catering for them and the laws to protect them from discrimination are often ignored. The inquiry team did find evidence of good practice, says the report, but ‘where it does occur it is attributable to the energies of individual enthusiasts battling against the odds, rather than to systems designed with people with learning disabilities in mind’.