Recent reports of potentially unlawful activity at the Edenfield Centre Mental Health Unit in Prestwich may indicate a breach of patients’ human rights. These include the right of patients to be free from inhuman and degrading treatment, their right to liberty and security, and their right to private and family life, including physical and psychological integrity.
We have a duty to enforce equality laws and defend human rights, and we therefore consider all allegations of unlawful activities carefully and take action where necessary.
We are already pressing the Department for Health and Social Care to go further than the actions in its Building the Right Support Plan for detained patients.
Yesterday, in response to the BBC Panorama documentary on 28 September about the treatment of people in Edenfield Centre Mental Health Unit in Prestwich, we wrote to the Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, copied to the relevant regulators, the NHS and government, to gain assurances that the human rights of patients will be actively and urgently protected.
We will consider next steps in conjunction with health regulators and in the context of ongoing criminal investigations.
The above information is from News from the Equality and Human Rights Commission Newsletter Fri 30/09/2022