Mistreatment of elderly in NHS and whistleblowing nurse

2.38.18pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 10th Jun 2009

An online petition has been set up calling for the re-instatement of Nurse Margaret Haywood. Nurse Haywood was struck off the Nursing register for secretly filming inhuman & degrading treatment of elderly patients in a NHS hospital, for BBC Panorama. 42000 people have now signed the petition from the Royal College of Nursing. It has been a catalyst for an outpouring of grief and anger about poor and unequal treatment of the elderly that is all too common in the NHS. The petition comments document many peoples direct experience of this. Likewise the frustration of staff who fear victimisation if they speak out about unacceptable standards of care.

More information can be found by following these links:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-for-whistleblowing-nurse/signatures.html

Petition set up by Royal College of Nursing for profession and members of public.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/28/nurse-exposing-cruelty-nhs

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/40000-names-on-petition-for-sacked-nhs-whistleblower-1682656.html

A number of Nursing publications (google Margaret Haywood) go into greater depth about this case and the judgement of the NMC and there are statements on the RCN website.