Parliament Care Home Rights Bid

A joint parliamentary committee has recommended that patients in private care homes should be protected by the Human Rights Act. The Committee on Human Rights issued a report recommending that the care standards regulations should be tightened to ensure private care homes abided by the same rules as those of public authorities.

It was also revealed in the report that although 79% of care services in the country had met the National Minimum Standards outlined for privacy and dignity for the elderly in care last year, it was concerned 21% were still failing to meet the standards set out.

The committee, which included Llanelli MP Nia Griffith, identified subtle forms of age discrimination and poor awareness of human rights among ground-level NHS staff as problematic. Cases of poor treatment, neglect and abuse were also identified by the committee as concerning.