A Professor from Scotland, and a former Scottish government official, June Andrews has been quoted as saying:
A coronavirus pandemic would be ‘quite useful’ in killing off hospital bed blockers…
She then blamed politicians and a lack of social care services for her truly vile comments. What an inhumane and hurtful thing to think, let alone to say publicly.
We all have friends with very elderly parents or relatives with (and without) dementia, who may require many services and sometimes need to be in hospital. I would be devastated if they died, from the Coronavirus, as would their family and friends (even though we will all die one day).
Not much gets me out of bed to blog these days, as I find it much more difficult than I used to, but (once again), this woman needs calling out. Her comments are harmful and hurtful, and I hope as Howard Gordon suggested on Twitter, that the police take her to task over it.
She ‘prides’ herself on working to improve dementia care, yet somehow thinks it is ok to publicly state that ‘the killing off of bed blockers’ is somehow ok! Her comment is not a ‘critical analysis’ of the NHS or the lack of social care services in the UK.
Her comments are inhumane, and cruel, and it has bothered me I even felt the need to blog about this hurtful woman…
See Mrs Andrews’ story: Her failed care pathway, highlighted to me by David Oliver on Twitter. Thankfully they never suggest once they’d prefer this woman would die…
Footnote: I am one of a great many people who has spoken up about this.
This is a very scary woman. This type of thinking could easily lead to making decisions on who should receive care based on personal biases and misinformation, especially related to dementia by the wrong individuals. I was in a rehab facility and told by a nurse that I was too sick to be there because I couldn’t walk to the bathroom. Thank goodness she was fired and the rehab facility didn’t follow her advice.
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Too many people with unreasonable amounts of power.., and who should know better
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Thank you Kate for making the effort to post this. A tragedy that a woman in her position would say anything like this
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Despicable and harmful 😢
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I can’t believe someone may think this way let alone verbalise this horrible thought. Thanks for bringing it to our attention Kate 😘Ness
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Agree Ness… unfortunately this woman has too much power too, so many will just fall into line. 🤬
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We are all valuable, and especially precious to those we love. It’s sad and wrong when people forget this.
Trish
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So true Trish… just because there is a lack of social care, is no reason to be wish anyone dead! Least of all our elders 😢😢😢
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How dreadful. You can’t even blame this on ignorance. June Andrews is an educated woman, but this statement is both insensitive and inhumane. Shame on her.
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Shame on her indeed Bobby; there are no excuses for her cruel comments 😦
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