DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by The Government News Network on 20 May 2008
Government
launches national dignity tour
Sir Michael Parkinson is to become National Dignity Ambassador
for the Government's drive to ensure that all older people
using care and health services are treated with dignity and
respect at all times. To mark the appointment, Michael Parkinson
today joined Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis, at the launch of a
National Dignity Tour at Guys and St Thomas's Hospital, in London.
The aim of the tour, which will visit every region in England, is
to raise the profile of the Dignity in Care campaign, launched by
Ivan Lewis last year, and encourage more people to become Dignity
Champions, spreading best practice and giving advice to other
health and social care workers.
Through the campaign, the Government wants to inspire and equip
people - service users, carers, relatives or care staff - with the
information, advice and support they need to drive up care
standards with respect to dignity for the individual.
Ivan Lewis also announced today further measures to strengthen
the government's Dignity In Care Campaign:
- The Government will propose that the new NHS Constitution, to
be published this year, explicitly recognise that a world class
NHS must give a new priority to dignity and respect for patients
alongside high quality medical care
- The Government will open discussions with Local Authorities on
the provisions of joint residential care for elderly couples, with
a view to making it clear that other than in exceptional
circumstances, couples requiring care should not be separated, and
the needs of both people are properly taken into account
- The Government's intention to double the number of
volunteers and paid staff who have signed up as Dignity Champions
to 3000 by the end of the year.
Care services Minister Ivan Lewis said:
"I want NHS and Social Care services to apply a simple test
- if it wouldn't be good enough for my Mum and Dad why should
it be good enough for someone else's?
"Our Dignity in Care campaign has struck a real chord with
older people, their families and front line staff. Too often, they
themselves describe experiences that are not acceptable.
"Today's appointment of Sir Michael Parkinson, and our
commitment to put patient dignity and respect at the heart of the
NHS Constitution, represent major advances for our campaign.
"We have made progress but this has to be a long-term
partnership between government, managers, front-line staff,
families and the wider community to ensure dignity and respect are
at the heart of care in NHS wards, care homes and home care services.
"In the same way as investing in the younger generation will
determine the success of our country, our treatment of older
people will determine its character."
The new Dignity Ambassador Sir Michael Parkinson said:
"I am honoured to take on this role as Ambassador for the
Government's Dignity In Care campaign.
"I have always had immense respect for the contribution
older people have made to our country. Like many others I have
experienced the care system in the past as the son of elderly parents.
"Dignity is about being treated as an individual with
respect and compassion. I intend to use my role to make a real
difference and ensure the issue of dignity moves to the heart of
all NHS and care services."
To support the dignity campaign further, the Department of Health
will be launching a revamped website this summer to support
Dignity Champions. Full of new features, the website will enable
champions to become more effective in sharing best practice and
networking locally with each other.
To reward organisations who develop their staff to provide high
quality services, we are entering into a partnership with Skills
for Care on the Accolades Awards. We will be looking to highlight
excellent examples of dignity in care from 2009 by developing a
specific focus on dignity in the awards categories.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. The Dignity tour will take place from June to November this
year and visit:
16 June North West Warrington
14 July East Midlands Leicester
21 July Yorkshire and the West & South
Humber Yorkshire
6 Oct West Midlands Birmingham
13 Oct North East Newcastle upon
Tyne
20 Oct South West Bristol
3 Nov East of England Norwich
10 Nov South East Brighton
Date Region City / county
2. To sign up to become a dignity champion visit: http://www.dignityincare.org.uk
3. Over 1,800 Dignity Champions have signed up all committed to
taking some action locally to improve dignity in care (orginal
target of 1,000). 5. Thousands of people in care homes and
hospices have benefitted from £117m investment to promote dignity
through improvements to their care environment
4. Thousands of people in care homes and hospices have benefitted
from £117m investment to promote dignity through improvements to
their care environment
5. For the first time ever Government and a wide range of
stakeholders have joined forces to develop and take forward a
Nutritional Action Plan aimed addressing the issues that exist in
this most fundamental aspect of care.
6. The Dignity Challenge - acts as a call to arms to care
providers to meet the 10 principles of care in their services to
people. When the concept of "dignity" means many things
to many people, this is a tangible way of explaining what it looks
like in the context of treating people well in a care setting. The
Dignity Challenge was printed onto business cards (Dignity Cards)
to act as an aide-memoir to staff working in Health & Social
Care about these important behaviours towards people they care
for. They have proven to be very popular with thousands of cards
being issued so far.
7. High quality care services that respect people's dignity should:
Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse
Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself
or a member of your family
Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service
Enable people to main tain the maximum possible level of
independence, choice and control
Listen and support people to express their needs and wants
Respect people's right to privacy
Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution
Engage with family members and carers as care partners
Assist people to maintain confidence and a positive self esteem
Act to alleviate people's loneliness and isolation
8. Last month a radical 3 year programme of social care
transformation began in every Local Authority area in England
supported by a £450 million grant. This will give older people and
their families a greater level of control and choice over how
their support is provided.
9. Last week Gordon Brown and Alan Johnson announced a major
consultation leading to a green paper on the future of the care
and support system. We want to reach a consensus with the public
and all political parties on a better quality fairer system which
meets families aspirations and is sustainable for the long-term.
10. We are enhancing protection for publicly funded residents of
private care homes and giving those who fund their own care new
rights to seek independent adjudication of complaints.
11. Later this year the Prime Minister will announce a 10 year
strategy to ensure carers receive proper recognition in our
society for the contribution they make to their families and our communities.
12. We will also publish the first ever National Dementia
Strategy to improve support and services for families struggling
to cope with this distressing condition.