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Ely Hospital - The Secretary of State for Wales, Mr. George Thomas
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Ely Hospital - The Secretary of State for Wales, Mr. George Thomas
Ely Hospital - The Secretary of State for Wales, Mr. George Thomas, talks to Deputy Sister Margaret Hicks, in one of the wards at Ely hospital today. In the centre is Mr. Gwilym Prys Davies, chairman of the Welsh Hospitals Board. 2nd April 1969. *IN 1967, a long-stay hospital for people with learning disabilities hit the headlines in a way which had rarely happened before. Ely Hospital, built in 1862 as a Poor Law institution and converted to a long-stay NHS hospital in 1948, was hit with allegations of endemic maltreatment of its patients, including cruelty, verbal abuse, beatings, stealing of food, clothes and other items, indifference to complaints, lack of medical care and medication used to sedate patients. iWe must never forget, i said one former resident who lived in the hospital for most of her life. iIt was a terrible placei. The subsequent Ely Inquiry in 1969 exposed a hospital cut off from the mainstream, with little or no staff training and overcrowded wards. A White Paper followed in 1971, which eventually led to a total transformation in the way people with learning disabilities are cared for. Labour AM for Cardiff West and Cardiff University professor Mark Drakeford is an expert on the Ely Inquiry. iIt was very shocking at the time, i he said
Western Mail Archive
Mirrorpix
Cardiff
Wales
Media ID 21631771
© Mirrorpix
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures a significant moment in history at Ely Hospital, where the Secretary of State for Wales, Mr. George Thomas, engages in conversation with Deputy Sister Margaret Hicks. The year is 1969, and this image serves as a reminder of the shocking events that unfolded just two years prior. In 1967, Ely Hospital made headlines for its mistreatment of patients with learning disabilities. Allegations surfaced regarding cruelty, verbal abuse, beatings, theft of essential items such as food and clothing, indifference to complaints, and inadequate medical care. Former residents recall the hospital as a terrible place where they endured unimaginable suffering. The subsequent Ely Inquiry in 1969 exposed the hospital's isolation from mainstream society and revealed overcrowded wards with poorly trained staff. As a result of these findings and public outrage over the situation at Ely Hospital, a White Paper was released in 1971 that led to transformative changes in how individuals with learning disabilities are cared for. Labour AM for Cardiff West and Cardiff University professor Mark Drakeford reflects on the shockwaves caused by the Ely Inquiry during that time. This photograph serves as an important historical document reminding us never to forget the atrocities committed at Ely Hospital and how it sparked much-needed reform within healthcare systems caring for those with learning disabilities.
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