NHS 'must do more on discrimination'

Campaigners have voiced concerns about the treatment of disabled people in the NHS in England, after new figures revealed that fewer health trusts were meeting government standards on challenging discrimination, promoting equality and respecting human rights.

The Healthcare Commission assessed the performance of trusts according to their compliance with 24 core standards.

But the core standard relating to challenging discrimination, promoting equality and respecting human rights produced the fifth lowest compliance rate.

The commission found that only 87 per cent of trusts were complying with the standard in 2006/2007, down from more than 93 per cent the previous year.

More than 50 of 394 trusts did not achieve the standard.

Dame Jo Williams, chief executive of Mencap, said: "It is worrying that one of the worst performing areas is challenging discrimination and protecting the human rights of vulnerable individuals, such as people with a learning disability.

“Mencap’s ‘Death by Indifference’ report, published earlier this year, highlights the six deaths of people with a learning disability, who died unnecessarily due to institutional discrimination within NHS care."

Mark Harper, shadow minister for disabled people, said: "The government must take real action to improve this situation."

“Simply waiting for the independent inquiry on access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities to report a year from now is unacceptable when lives could be at risk."

“The government have announced urgent action to prevent further deaths from infection. The lives of vulnerable people are no less important."

A Department of Health (DH) spokesman said: “The Healthcare Commission's audit showed that there is still some work to be done by the NHS to meet the needs of vulnerable groups of people, for example disabled people.”

He said the DH was helping trusts with their legal duties on equality, including providing guidance on both race and disability equality schemes.