We must never forget what happened in nursing homes

WATCHING the BBC programme on the horrendous treatment of patients in the Winterbourne Home in Bristol shocked most who watched it to the core.

It exposed appalling human behaviour towards extremely vulnerable human beings on a level to what we know went on in our own industrial schools.

To make matters worse, when a whistleblower brought it to the attention of the English regulatory body, the Care Quality Commission, they did nothing.

It was an extremely difficult programme to watch and while viewing, it brought back memories of the abuses that occurred in the Leas Cross nursing home.

It also got me thinking about the excellent expose that the Irish Examiner did in the last two years with regard to some childcare facilities around the country.

It is a sad reflection of how modern society works or, more to the point, doesn’t work, that abuses of vulnerable citizens, be they young or old, only grabs the public attention when shown graphically on TV or written about in the newspapers.

The media can only expose such atrocities when brave workers come forward and tell the truth. They jeopardise their own positions by doing so. Sadly, such individuals are few and far between. If we want a fairer society we each must take responsibility for what goes on around us.

Rarely do any of us have the foresight to think that maybe someday down the line this could be my mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, baby, best friend that is being treated in such a disgusting and inhuman way.

We cannot forget what took place in Winterbourne, Leas Cross and other institutions.

It’s happening somewhere else at this very moment.

Jim Jackman

Castleknock

Dublin 15