Care workers and nurses in line for compensation
June Wright had been a nurse for nearly 40 years when she found herself at the centre of an allegation of abuse. She was suspended without pay for five years before she was cleared of any wrong-doing. Now a new ruling from the Law Lords says June and people like her have been treated unfairly – they shouldn’t be suspended and they shouldn’t lose pay until the case against them is proven. The government now faces compensation claims worth millions of pounds. Is the ruling fair? Or should innocent people still face suspension, so that vulnerable patients are protected from the guilty? Jenni discusses the issues with Daniel Blake from Action on Elder Abuse, and Helen Caulfield, a solicitor for the Royal College of Nursing. |
