Disabled people without carers denied hospital treatment

PEOPLE with intellectual disabilities are being denied in-patient treatment in some hospitals unless they have a carer to accompany them 24 hours a day.

A study heard the practice applied regardless of how disabled the person was, how well they were, or how much support they needed.

Researchers were told some hospitals made it a condition before they would admit an intellectually disabled person, even if that person had come through accident and emergency.

The study looked at the accessibility of the health services to people with disabilities. It was carried out by researchers at the National University of Ireland, Galway for the National Disability Authority (NDA).

The report said: “It was stated that without this commitment from family and/or carers, a person with an intellectual disability would be denied hospital admission irrespective of their actual support needs.”

The report found the majority of people interviewed felt they had less access, less choice and a poorer quality of service than able-bodied people. Those who had intellectual or physical disabilities combined with mental health needs or who were deaf were particularly badly served.

The study found:

* None of those with hearing impairment interviewed had ever met a health professional who was fluent in sign language.

* Blind people were given written instructions about medication but nothing in braille or on tape.

* Wheelchair users were unable to attend for routine GP, dental or optical checks because there were no hoists to help them into regulation chairs or beds.

* People with disabilities were routinely excluded from health screening programmes such as BreastCheck.

Wheelchair and guide dog users also reported having to sit in corridors because there was no space for them in waiting rooms and some people had to use commodes because there were no wheelchair-accessible toilets.

Even new, supposedly wheelchair-friendly buildings were rated inaccessible, with doorways too narrow, toilets too small and ramps inadequate to let people move around with ease.

Lack of disability training for health professionals and administrative staff was identified by all those interviewed as a major weakness in the health services. One man reported being repeatedly told to come into a surgery for an outpatient appointment despite the fact that he couldn’t move.

“I said I’m paralysed. I thought that would be good enough for her but she came back twice more and asked me would I not be able to come a little bit.”

The researchers did find examples of health professionals, particularly GPs and pharmacists, who went out of their way to help those with disabilities but it concluded these were only “propping up” the health service by personally trying to “compensate for the deficiencies, inefficiencies and injustices of the system.”

The report was presented to the Health Service Executive (HSE) yesterday. NDA senior researcher, Frances Hannon, said the reorganisation of the health services under the new HSE structures provided a golden opportunity to build in equality for people with disabilities. “We need to keep on putting the message out there. Awareness is increasing but we need to go faster,” she said.