In May 2011, the revelation that adults with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems had been victims of abuse perpetrated by the care workers employed to look after them shocked the public. The Panorama programme, broadcast on 31 May 2011, showed evidence that the residents of Winterbourne View private hospital in Bristol had been the victims of both physical and verbal abuse. In 2012, 11 members of staff were convicted of over 40 offences between them. In June 2011, Winterbourne View hospital was closed following enforcement action by the CQC.
We were instructed to act on behalf of 25 former residents of Winterbourne View to pursue claims for compensation, and were appointed Lead Solicitor for the Group Litigation that followed. All the claims were successfully settled, with the former residents receiving financial compensation. The last of the cases arising from Winterbourne View was successfully concluded in early 2019.
Institutional abuse (such as that which occurred at Winterbourne View hospital in Bristol) can occur where a residential or nursing home/hospital setting is run according to the needs of the business rather than the needs of the residents, and so residents are deprived of free choice and forced to abide by a regime imposed upon them to their detriment.
There are strict time limits for bringing claims – it is important to act quickly
If you think that a family member has suffered abuse in a hospital care or nursing home setting, it is important to act quickly.
If there are allegations that there has been a breach of someone’s human rights, the time limit for issuing that claim at Court is strictly one year.
If someone has suffered an injury (physical or psychological) as a result of abuse, then the time limit for issuing that claim at Court is three years from the date of injury.
