In 2011, BBC's Panorama exposed the horrific abuse of people with a learning disability at Winterbourne View assessment and treatment hospital. Six workers were jailed for the ill treatment and neglect of people in their care.
Winterbourne View exposed a wider scandal across the country - local authorities were sending people with a learning disability to places like this for years at a time.
The government responded to the scandal by putting in place an action plan. This was to ensure that people with a learning disability are supported to return to their communities and get the right support and services in their local areas. The NHS and local authorities were given a deadline of 1st June 2014 to make this happen.
The deadline has passed but there are still 3,250 people with a learning disability stuck in these hospitals. There has been an appalling failure to meet the target set out by the government. New closure plans have been offered recently, so we need to keep the pressure on and ensure these plans become a reality.
Hospitals are not homes. Places like Winterbourne View must close.
Please sign your name to support Mencap. We are keeping pressure on the government to ensure people with a learning disability receive the support they need close to home.
