UK COVID-19 Inquiry|10 Oct 2024
Matt Stringer. Chief Executive of Royal National Institute of Blind People ("RNIB") and Disability Charities Consortium (DCC).
Introduction
Matt Stringer is the Chief Executive Officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People ("RNIB") and was authorised by the Disability Charities Consortium (DCC) to make this statement on the experiences of disabled people during the pandemic in accessing healthcare systems across the four nations of the UK. The contents of this statement represent the collective experience of DCC members.
Catastrophic lockdown impacts on healthcare provision for disabled people
Disabled people were clearly crushed by the lockdown restrictions and incessant media fear mongering.
23% reduction in eye tests
28% reduction in opthamaology
60% put off seeking medical advice altogether
‘‘We’ve seen a MASSIVE fall off in the number of people who were actively undergoing their routine health appointments.’’
‘‘235,000 necessary eye surgeries were missed or delayed in 2020.’’
There is yet more shocking data NOT spoken about by Mr.Stringer at inquiry. See from paragraph 26 of statement.
53 per cent of people with complex disabilities told Sense that their health had
been negatively affected and 48 per cent had medical treatments delayed.
Scope research found that 63 per cent of disabled adults were concerned (in
May 2020) that they wouldn't be able to access hospital treatment if they
became ill with Covid-19.
A poll of 1,207 working age disabled adults found a third (32% felt their physical and mental health was negatively impacted. This rose to 50% in those with chronic health conditions.
Half (49%) of repsondents reported negative mental health.
‘‘Specsavers' 'The State of the UK's Eye Health 2021' report estimated that 2,986 people LOST VISION due to delays in the identification and treatment of eye disease. ‘‘
DNACPR
As we’ve heard repeatedly at the Scottish COVID inquiry…
1-‘‘DNACPR notices were being issued in a blanket fashion to FIT AND HEALTHY disabled people of working age.’’
2-’’Often without consultation.’’
3-’’They were instances of DNACPR notices being confused with DO NOT TREAT notices.’’
Misue of DNACPR notices is STILL an ongoing issue for disabled people in the UK in 2024.
‘‘We still think there is a lingering problem with DNACPRs still being attatched to people's records.’’
Within Mr.Stringer’s statement it reads:
‘‘DNACPRs (Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation notices) were issued in a`blanket' fashion across care settings for (working age) disabled people. Even where DNACPRs were used individually, the patient and/or their family were not consulted in advance..
…as the law requires.’’
Are those in public health above the law?
FORCED masking
Another statement paragraph not mentioned during the session.
‘‘NAS heard of instances of autistic people being FORCED to wear a mask to be allowed into healthcare settings, like hospitals or GP surgeries, or being barred from entry.’’
Final statement comments
Discrimination against the most vulnerable, who ‘co-incidentally’ had the highest mortality risk from ‘COVID.’
‘‘Disabled people were treated as an afterthought during the pandemic.’’
Extra
‘‘A lack of adjustments to care even in NORMAL times can have FATAL consequences for people with a learning disability.’’
‘‘Unfortunately the support i have witnessed in hospitals falls even short of basic nursing care.’’
-Comment from NHS nurse…
‘‘The lack of provision for people with learning disabilites could be FATAL…would you agree there is a link between the lack of services in terms of the mortailty statistics?’’
‘‘Yes, potentially…as services disappeared…that’s a fair link.’’
-Matt Stringer
End
Links:
Video-Youtube- UK Covid 19 Inquiry - Module 3 Hearing - 10 October 2024 AM
Full statement: https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10160208/INQ000235594.pdf