Extra human rights protection for care home residents blocked

A bill that proposed to extend the human rights of elderly people and children living in care homes that are contracted to private providers by the NHS or local authorities has been blocked in the House of Commons. Labour MP Andrew Dismore wanted the Human Rights Act to be extended to close a loophole that could leave people living in contracted-out care homes at risk. Since the Act was passed in 1998, contracting out has become increasingly common but the Act has not been amended to reflect this. The main risk is that people funding their own care can be evicted from a contracted-out care home without an appeal and at short notice if there is an unresolved complaint or dispute with the home. Mr Dismore told MPs: ‘My intention is to ensure that human rights protections apply comprehensively, directly and consistently to all those who receive public services from private providers - including the most vulnerable members of our society.’ However, the Bill was not supported by the Conservatives who were concerned about the ‘unknown regulatory impact’ that it might have on private care providers. The Government also did not support the Bill, but acknowledged its importance and stated that it is ‘taking an effective programme of action to address the issue.’