Posted on 01/13/2009 2:01:13 PM PST by wagglebee
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- A British hospital that allowed a Down syndrome patient to starve to death over a 26 day period has apologized but will not be held accountable. That's upsetting to one bioethicist who says he can't believe the hospital hasn't made any progress in investigating the case in four years.
As LifeNews.com reported, Martin Ryan died in a hospital in Kingston-upon-Thames and the medical center conducted an internal investigation following his death.
Ryan, who could not swallow after a stroke, was allowed to lie in a bed and starve to death without receiving any medical care.
Now, Kingston hospital has apologized and issued a statement telling Martin's parents that officials are very sorry he died.
Chief executive Kate Grimes told the London Daily Mail that the medical center had apologized personally to Mr Ryan's parents, and that the staff involved "very much regret" his death.
She said the communications breakdown that led to his death was "inexcusable and our staff have learned very serious lessons."
"Personally, I would also like to say we feel for Mr Ryan's parents over the loss of their much-loved son. We know we cannot make things better for them but we have made major changes to ensure another similar tragedy does not occur," Grimes told the newspaper.
An internal query found that doctors thought staff nurses were feeding him with a feeding tube in his nose, but by the time anyone realized that had not happened for weeks, Ryan was took weak for a surgery to insert a gastronomy tube in his stomach.
That's not good enough for Wesley J. Smith, an American bioethicist who noted that publicity over Ryan's death only occurred now -- four years after it happened -- because of an investigation into errors in the NHS governmental health system.
"I have no doubt the apology is sincere. But it is inadequate to the profound wrong that occurred in this case," Smith says.
"Where is the accountability? Where are the resignations? Why haven't--apparently--any of the derelict caregivers been fired or disciplined by the hospital and their professional organizations?" Smith asked. "Indeed, why nearly four years after Martin's death is the matter still at the inquiry stage?"
Smith thinks that more progress was not made in holding the hospital and its staff accountable because Martin was disabled.
"I have no doubt that if Martin did not have Down syndrome, heads would have figuratively rolled," he says. "Indeed, it isn't vindictiveness but simple justice that demands that this case not be allowed to rest with a simple apology, no matter how sincere or abject."
Ann Abraham, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, is expected to issue a report soon on similar abuses and members of the British parliament may act on it to prevent further ones.
Anthony Ozimic, the political secretary of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, a British pro-life group, also told LifeNews.com the British government must be held accountable for what is becoming routine discrimination against the mentally disabled.
"Mencap has identified institutional discrimination within Britain's healthcare services against people with learning disabilities," he said. "Yet lethal institutional discrimination against the disabled and vulnerable is enshrined in law and policy, particularly in the pro-euthanasia Mental Capacity Act which Mencap supported."
"Disabled adults will continue to die because of discriminatory attitudes whilst the Mental Capacity Act and the killing of disabled unborn children, which manifest those attitudes, remain law," Ozimic added.
The culture of death considers the disabled to be "worthless eaters" and it shows at every level.
Pro-Life Ping
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
Socialized Medicine Ping
I am NOT defending the hospital in any way, but I have to ask how the parents could have let that go on for 26 days without questioning it.
Some animals are more equal than others.
This will be Obamacare, except it will not be reported.
I wondered the same thing; I’m sure there’s an explanation, but I don’t know what it is.
“An internal query found that doctors thought staff nurses were feeding him with a feeding tube in his nose, but by the time anyone realized that had not happened for weeks, Ryan was took weak for a surgery to insert a gastronomy tube in his stomach. “
Obviously no doctor actually saw the patient.. Feeding tube is a very prominent object.
When I’ve had people in a hospital I’ve had to watch them almost 24/7 to make sure no mistakes were made. If you have to be in a hospital, always try to have an “advocate” on the outside to monitor the actions of the employees.
There you go.
This is how 'Universal Healthcare ' will save money over the present system.
Send a sincere apology (likely a form letter) and that's it!
Can't sue the government doncha know.
In this day and age, it's not uncommon for a doctor to come in a for a minute or two, glance at a chart, grunt a few times and head out without actually administering any medical care to the patient. Horrific but not surprising this happened.
The wonders of Communist Healthcare!
I don’t believe they’re sorry at all. He’s just another less-than-perfect carbon-spewing unit gone. Big deal.
I don’t believe they’re sorry at all. He’s just another less-than-perfect carbon-spewing unit gone. Big deal.
soon to happen in the states at a much greater rate than now when “the one” signs the legislation banning the right to life movement.
kowtow to the religion of peace aka culture of death and it rubs off in all aspects of life. if britain was like this in 1940 they would be speaking german. what a disgusting country it has turned into.
Your are dead on, and part of the eugenics will be on Gupta’s shoulders, though I know many FReepers think he’s such a great choice for Surgeon Gen.
I spent 25 years at the bedside in a hospital as a nurse.
Not much surprises me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.