Inclusion Scotland

Friday, 21 November 2008

Dying with dignity 'Laws establish rights, but devil is in the detail'

An Assisted Dying Bill which independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald plans to bring before the Scottish Parliament, after appropriate consultation, aims to enshrine the right to die in law.

Ms MacDonald has investigated the issues surrounding assisted dying and paid visits abroad to learn more about how it works. The fact that she herself has Parkinson's disease and has publicly stated that if her condition became unbearable she would like the right to end her own life brings the debate very close to home.

Some church leaders will argue strenuously against any move to allow people to decide to bring about their own death. But the harsh reality is that life and death decisions are being made every day – by doctors with limited resources who must decide which patients to prioritise and by relatives of desperately-ill patients who are asked to agree that a life support machine is switched off.

If society is prepared to accept such decisions being made by other people, the question has to be asked why terminally-ill individuals should not have the right to decide about their own life while they are still able.

Indeed, it seems inhuman to insist that anyone should be required to live out their last days in excruciating pain or terrible distress. There have been cases of doctors who find ways to help distressed patients achieve the dignified death they seek, but there will be many more which go unrecorded.

But it may be that Ms MacDonald's proposed legislation is not the best way forward. Laws can be useful in clarifying situations and establishing people's rights and entitlements – but the devil is always in the detail.

And the issue of assisted dying is fraught with dangers. It is such a complex and sensitive area, involving individuals, families, friends and medical professionals that any new law, however carefully drafted and honestly debated, could throw up as many new problems as it seeks to solve.

If it became legal for doctors to help people die, there would have to be strict safeguards to prevent people being pressured into a decision and to stop another Harold Shipman wreaking havoc with legal loopholes to exploit.

Maybe the current law with its grey areas is a blessing in disguise.

Welfare plan 'may cause poverty'

Ministers should rethink or delay plans to force lone parents, disabled people and the long-term jobless to seek work, a senior government adviser has said.

Sir Richard Tilt said reforms in Wales, England and Scotland could 'push people into poverty' as unemployment rises.

From next week, lone parents will have to look for work once their youngest child is 12 or face losing benefits.

Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell said plans would offer support to the jobless, not penalise them.

'Harmful'

Sir Richard, who is head of the social security advisory committee, said the so-called 'welfare to work' reforms risked 'falling into disrepute'.

He called for the changes to be delayed by one or two years.

Currently, single parents can claim income support solely on the basis of being a lone parent until their youngest child is 16.

But from Monday, those with children aged 12 and over will no longer be able to make a new claim for income support.

Instead, they will be able to claim Jobseekers Allowance if they are actively looking for work.

The total amount they can receive will be almost exactly the same, but anyone not complying with the new rules could face sanctions, including having their benefits cut by up to 40%.

Sir Richard said: 'Benefit rates are relatively low and if you are going to reduce someone's benefit for a few weeks by 40% you are pushing people much closer to poverty.

'Of course, the child will suffer, but it's not the child that has fallen foul of the system.'

And he said there was often a particular reason that the lone parent was staying at home.

'It may be to do with disability or chronic illness, or in some cases it may be to do with behavioural problems,' he said. 'So pushing the lone [parent] in those circumstances into work may actually not be in everybody's interest.

'In many cases it will be harmful and lead to further behavioural problems.'

But Mr Purnell said it was more vital than ever to help the jobless seek employment.

'We are not forcing people to work and leave benefits,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

'What we are saying is people should take up the support which we know works.

'I think it would be wrong at a time when it may be harder for people to find work to provide them with less help.'

Conservative spokesman Chris Grayling said the changes were badly needed.

'It would be disastrous for Britain to do a U-turn on welfare reform,' he said.

'Set example'

Kim Sparrow, from the Single Mothers Self Defence Network, told BBC Five Live that just because her children were now teenagers, it was not the case that she had the time to get a job.

'If I was to get a job now, I would not be there for them in the ways that I would want to be,' she said.

However, Stephen Grimsey, who has a three-year-old daughter and has been working part-time in a pub since February, said having a job had made a big difference to his life.

'I have my pride back, my self esteem and I'm able to do more with my daughter and set her a good example - show her that if you want something you go out and you earn it,' he added.

For lone parents already claiming income support, the changes will be phased in depending on the age of the youngest child.

From March 2009, parents of 14 and 15-year-olds will no longer be able to claim income support and from July 2009, the change will extend to parents of 12 and 13-year-olds.

By October 2010, lone parents with children aged seven and over will be required to look for work in order to get benefits.

According to the government, there are 1.8m lone parents in the UK, 56.3% of whom are in work.

There are 738,600 lone parents on income support, and of those, just over 100,000 have children aged 12 and above.

BBC News

New waiting time target for hospital tests

Patients waiting for key diagnostic tests, including MRI and CT scans, will have even shorter waiting times from next year under a pledge to reduce the current nine-weeks maximum waiting time to six weeks by the end of March 2009.

Over the two years from July 2006 to July 2008, the number of patients waiting more than nine weeks for key tests fell from 10,638 to just two. NHS Boards achieved this by improving provision of services supported by £50 million additional investment from the Scottish Government.

An Audit Scotland report - Review of Diagnostic Services in Scotland - published today, highlights that waiting times for eight key diagnostic tests have reduced and the quality of care for endoscopy patients is improving.

The report also identifies variations in the efficient use of resources across NHS Boards and variation in the provision of some services such as how quickly hospitals report test results and the choices offered to patients on booking their appointments. Audit Scotland calls for better data collection to drive sustainable improvements in order to deliver efficient services for patients, and NHSScotland is working to address this.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

'This government is committed to ensuring patients get the best possible treatment and care in Scottish hospitals.

'Waiting for a diagnosis can be an anxious time which is why it is crucial that waiting times for diagnostic tests are as short as possible.

'Today's report confirms that waiting times are coming down and the work taken to achieve this. This is considerable progress and across the service the efforts taken are continuing.

'Reducing the waiting time to six weeks will mean improved care for patients and I am determined that NHSScotland does not lose sight of this.

'Work is also underway to improve data collection, and to drive improvements through benchmarking radiology services and other improvement techniques, to enable us to further improve the planning and efficiency of diagnostic services.'

The eight tests subject to the national maximum waiting times standard - and which were audited for this report - are:

• MRI
• CT
• non-obstetric
• ultrasound
• barium enema
• upper GI endoscopy
• colonoscopy
• sigmoidoscopy
• cystoscopy

Scottish Government

Thursday, 20 November 2008

Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) Annual Disabled Workers' Conference

The Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) held its 5th Annual Disabled Workers’ Conference at the Apex Hotel in Dundee on 1st and 2nd November and was chaired by Ken MacMillan, Secretary of Inverness Trades Union Council. The theme of the conference was “Active in the Workplace – The Union Makes Us Strong”.

The motion-based event, which was well attended by delegates representing a number of trade unions, sets a campaigning agenda for the Disabled Workers’ Committee, and the Committee’s liaison with the General Council allows for disability issues to be mainstreamed into the wider work of the STUC. The Committee election results were announced on Sunday.

Key speakers who addressed the conference included Minister for Communities and Sport, Stewart Maxwell MSP; Martin Keenan, Vice President, STUC General Council; Cheryl Gedling, Chairperson, STUC Women’s Committee; Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary; Satnam Ner, STUC Black Workers’ Committee and Drew Smith, Chairperson, STUC Youth Committee.

A panel session entitled “Removing Barriers to Mainstream Employment” took place on the Saturday afternoon and consisted of Ian Welsh, Director of UK Services, Rehab Group; Terry Anderson, Union Community Development Officer, STUC; Pippa Coutts, Head of Operations, Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health; and Keith Robertson, Access Development Officer, Scottish Disability Equality Forum. This was followed by a question and answer session by delegates.

A presentation on “Employment and Support Allowance” was also given by John Keenan, Member of STUC General Council.

Speaking at the event, Ian Welsh, Director of UK Service, Rehab Group said:

“For people working in disadvantage and disability, much has undoubtedly been achieved in 25 years and the STUC has played a large part in this, being strong proponents of equality for disabled workers. The current government’s goal of equality for disabled people by 2025 is laudable and built legislatively around the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act and, more recently the setting up of the Office for Disability.”

For more information contact Laura Delaney on 0141 221 2333

Liz Sayce: Improving the skills of disabled people will reap huge rewards

Disabled people have a collective spending power of £80bn a year. Those companies that make use of all the talents and serve all our communities will be the most able to withstand the economic hard times.

Life in Britain has improved in many ways for disabled people over the last 20 years. But half of us are still not working (rising to 80 per cent of people with mental health issues). When we are working, we earn on average 10 per cent less than non-disabled people and we are not yet fully included in the search for talent and the mission to drive up skills. The scope for capitalising on all this untapped talent is vast.

At Radar, we know people who have languished following an accident or diagnosis, with no encouragement or support to get back into work. One person was at home following a major accident for two years before any health or social care professional mentioned employment even as a future possibility. He is now a solicitor and major disability leader – thanks to his own efforts.

This can change. National data from the 2008 patient survey shows that 50 per cent of people using secondary mental health services believe they will not be able to work. Yet in Merton, South-west London, where the Mental Health Trust has employed a vocational specialist in every community mental health team, the proportion writing themselves off in this way has dropped dramatically to under 30 per cent. Similarly, rapid advice and support on employment in spinal cord injury units leads to much higher employment rates than the common approach in Britain of waiting till after physical rehabilitation is complete.

Disabled people are also forging ahead as entrepreneurs. Increasing numbers have built flourishing businesses, often using the experience of disability to provide a market edge. Albert Thomson – one of the many nominees for Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year – took the experience of his own injury in Iraq and turned it into a successful business.

For people like web-designer Doug Paulley, an unemployed wheelchair user currently living in a residential care home, all that is needed is a simple change to the discriminatory care charging rules which – if he took up one of the many offers of employment he has received – would leave him with just £20 'pocket money' per week.

Employers who remain fearful about employing people with complex fluctuating conditions need advice on tap when they need it, financial and practical support and money to provide temporary cover. Just 25 per cent of employers are aware of the Access to Work Scheme which helps cover the costs of disabled people's travel, equipment and support needs at work – a major awareness drive coupled with some adjustments to the scheme would reap huge dividends.

We can bring the skills levels and employment rate of disabled people up to the average for non-disabled people, the prize will be great. The Treasury would save some £13bn – equivalent to six months economic growth. Improving the skills of disabled people to world leading levels by 2020 would give a boost equivalent to 18 extra months of growth over 30 years, some £35bn.

To book a place at Radar's People of the Year Awards, or if you are working at senior level and are willing to share experience on a completely confidential basis, please contact bobbie.barry@radar.org.uk

The Independent