Care staff in the UK who wilfully neglect patients under their supervision could face time in jail and expensive fines from 2015. [s]People Management[/s] reports that the proposals were outlined by the [b]UK Department of Health[/b] (DoH) as part of its response to the findings of the [b]National Advisory Group on the Safety of Patients[/b] in England in 2013. According to the government, the new offence is needed to close a legal loophole that currently allows mistreatment of patients in settings such as mental institutions. ‘It is emphatically not about punishing healthcare staff who make honest mistakes, but ensuring there are robust sanctions for deliberate or reckless actions, or failures to act,’ said a DoH spokesperson.
[link url=http://www.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2014/06/13/nhs-staff-could-face-jail-time-for-39-wilful-neglect-39.aspx]Full People Management report [/link]
[link url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/319042/Ill-treament_or_wilful_neglect_consultation_response.pdf]UK government proposals[/link]