The dark side to 'Anne's Law'
A disaster for the right's of all Scots in the making? The devil is in the detail.
Introduction
Anne's Law is a piece of planned Scottish legislation which is promoted as a solution post ‘COVID’ to strengthen the rights of people living care homes to see and spend time with the people who are important to them in the event of an outbreak of ANY infectious disease. I think, on the surface, you would be hard pressed to find anyone opposed to such a stance.
The campaign is led by Anne’s husband Campbell Duke (pictured above) and daughter Natasha. Anne, aged 63 was a dementia sufferer and sadly pased away November 2021.
Anne’s story-highlights from Scottish COVID inquiry
The circumstances before Anne’s passing reveal the family were subject to pressurised DNR orders from the GP which if agreed to, would then result in no NHS care should Anne fall unwell. Anne was hospitilised 28th October 2021 with cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder/gallstones). The family were told she would not be operated on as she was considered too frail yet Anne was just 63 years ‘‘old’’.
Anne was then discharged from hospital to be placed on an end of life care pathway and even with TWO negative COVID tests the rules stated she still be quarantined for 14 days. The cruelty was never ending.
Lockdown misery
Mr Duke (in his statement) rightly asserts (the now more common view in 2024) that it was NOT ‘COVID’ causing havoc in people’s daily lives but the lockdown restrictions imposed by the government and public health, enforced by care homes.
The serious problems with ‘Anne’s Law’
Promoted under the guise of enhancing human rights, being humane, compassionate etc however in practise, quite the opposite will occur.
The future
This means in a future ‘outbreak’ (defined by public health) of ANY organism in order to see a loved one in a care home or other setting the following (now widely disproven and harmful medical interventions) become normalised and written into LAW instead of guidance (which was unenforceable) during the ‘COVID’ years.
Lockdown
Masks
Isolation (for non compliant families)
Testing
Full PPE
Contagion paranoia/fear
Hand sanitising
‘Vaccination’/mRNA mandates-no jab no entry
+ can also include obedience to ANY other health diktat
OR no access to a loved one.
This is one of many similar responses to the Annes Law consultation.
In effect, measures CHRS members and other relatives have argued against passionately at the Scottish COVID inquiry for months as causing all sorts of serious harms will be the new normal for pandemic and even non pandemic outbreaks. Extraordinary! Those that choose to comply ‘the reward’ is to be granted a ‘‘meaningful visit’’..likely time limited and relatives will have to be CHOSEN who can attend and when. Non compliant family members, i include myself and their loves ones would would be back to worse than COVID lockdown conditions.
‘The Right for one nominated relative to be with a person in a Pandemic situation.’
-Campbell Duke -paragraph 250 of statement
Lessons learned?
‘Surrounding residents of care homes with people wearing masks…in conjuction with isolating them from their loved ones was catastrophic.’ -Alison Walker
The emergence of the biosecurity state?
The above points i raised were all but confirmed at the conclusion of the recent (June 2024) health and social care impact hearings by CHRS’ lawyer Simon Crabb. With the added insult family members who comply will also be giving FREE labour in the home for providers that help inflict untold harms on tens of thousands of residents and their families. So a big win for government/public health and the care sector.
‘These ‘‘unpaid carers’’ would be subject to the same RESTRICTIONS and RULES as paid carers particularly during periods of specific control requirements.’
‘There remains no guarantee than ANOTHER PROLONGED LOCKDOWN which would imprison care home residents and deny them access to their loved ones could not happen again.’
‘Annes Law’ consultation responses
The Law Society of Scotland make it clear EXISTING rights should be respected and protected. No new right is required.
NB: As human rights were discarded during the ‘COVID’ era, what’s to stop ‘Anne’s Law’ also being ignored?
The response from AGE Scotland also makes it clear the harms from the ‘COVID’ visiting restrictions were severe on the most frail. Restrictions that will be legalised and able to be ENFORCED with ‘Annes Law’.
Locked-Down Love: Anne’s Law, Care Homes and the Next Pandemic
On the 23rd October 2023 at 2:30pm (interesting date/time) the University of Edinburgh (staunch supporters/promoters of the harmful unscientific ‘COVID’ mitigation measures) are already discussing ‘the next pandemic’ along with MSPs with none other than Mr.Campbell Duke. I think this is what you call making a deal with the devil in the hope he doesn’t stab you in the back?
Conclusion
CHRS and ‘Annes Law’ DESPITE the Scottish COVID inquiry revelations where people should be held accountable for a faux pandemic of panic are making sure those that pushed it all gain even more control over our lives…not if…but WHEN they decide it happens again. Lessons are being learned…just not for the public good!
Feb 2025 update
Lessons are being learned.
Thanks for reading.
End
Links:
https://hub.careinspectorate.com/how-we-support-improvement/quality-improvement-programmes-and-topics/visiting-meaningful-connection-anne-s-law/
https://consult.gov.scot/pandemic-response/annes-law-legislation/
CHRS consultation letter- https://consult.gov.scot/pandemic-response/annes-law-legislation/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-descending&uuId=1001369377
Law society of Scotland consultation response- https://consult.gov.scot/pandemic-response/annes-law-legislation/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-descending&uuId=338411298
https://www.lawscot.org.uk/media/z0ybtgrg/21-11-02-ppc-annes-law-consultation.pdf
Age Scotland consultation response- https://consult.gov.scot/pandemic-response/annes-law-legislation/consultation/view_respondent?sort-order=submitted-descending&uuId=457405323
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60945582
https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/news-events/event/locked-down-love-annes-law-care-homes-and-next-pandemic
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scottish-government-blasted-no-sign-33389913
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/heartbroken-scots-husband-vows-fight-25507653
https://www.careinspectorate.com/images/Meaningful_Connection_Annes_Law/Meaningful_connection_fact_sheet_-_What_is_Annes_Law.pdf
Campbell Duke statement- https://www.covid19inquiry.scot/sites/default/files/ev-documents/sci-wt0483-000001.pdf
With all of the laws the sting is in the tail and they always sell it as increased protection and for the greater good. They boast about the lofty goal of their laws but in the end it will cause loss of freedom, speech and autonomy of the individual, they are put in place to subjugate the population. It is always about control.
Oh Dave, I have such mixed feelings about this. On one hand I agree completely with you on Anne's law and similar in England and Wales. I share your concern that it will normalise the locking down of care homes while disregarding the needs of the majority of care home residents who don't have an involved relative. These lonely people rely on interactions with the family members of their fellow residents and the many other people who visit care homes - ministers, entertainers, health professionals, school children and so on. These people will have no access during a lockdown and the family members who do will be restricted to the room of their relative - complete with covered face as you say.
On the other hand, I'm hugely supportive of the tireless work done by Campbell & Natasha (and CHRS) and fully understand why they're fighting for something good and lasting to come out of the horrendous situation they lived through with Anne. There is no script and we're all trying to do the best we can, some of which may be misguided but I don't believe intentionally. I'm not quite sure how to deal with this dilemma which, for me, you've brought to a head and wonder if there's a way forward where we can all work together without alienating those who are actually on our side.