§ Lord Morris of Manchesterasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consideration they have given to the dossier sent to the General Medical Council by Dr Rita Pal of Sutton Coldfield, which detailed cases of abuse of elderly patients in NHS hospitals overdosed with diamorphine; and what action they are taking in response to it. [HL1911]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)The West Midlands Regional Office of the National Health Service Executive and the General Medical Council are carrying out separate investigations into the issues raised by Dr Pal. The GMC will consider any issues raised about the fitness to practice of individual doctors whilst the Regional Office will consider issues about the hospitals and health authorities. The West Midlands Regional Office and the GMC will be meeting shortly to ensure that these investigations proceed quickly.
Last year the Government asked the Health Advisory Service to review the standards of care for older people on acute hospital wards. The resulting report Not because they are old was issued to all NHS trusts. The Government have made it absolutely clear that high standards of care must be achieved. We are addressing the needs of older people through the National Service Framework, which will be published later this year. This will set out a framework to ensure that all older people are treated with dignity and receive the highest standards of care.