• To reflect on common types of abuse experienced by people with learning disabilities in health and social care settings
• To understand why the care of people with learning disabilities continues to break down despite numerous inquiries into failings and abuse
• To appreciate the commitments needed to address the suboptimal care of people with learning disabilities
In May 2019 a scandal about the care of people with learning disabilities emerged when the BBC broadcast secret footage of abuse perpetrated at Whorlton Hall, a specialist unit for vulnerable adults. This was another case in a list of abuse in care settings for people with learning disabilities, including systematic abuse uncovered at Ely Hospital in 1967 and Winterbourne View in 2011. This article reflects on the parallels that can be drawn between the cases at Ely Hospital, Winterbourne View and Whorlton Hall, suggests explanations for these recurrent patterns of abuse and makes recommendations for how to address them.
Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2020.e2049
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Willis D (2020) Whorlton Hall, Winterbourne View and Ely Hospital: learning from failures of care. Learning Disability Practice. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2020.e2049
Acknowledgement With thanks to Norma Muir, senior care and support worker, Support Works, Edinburgh, for her helpful suggestions and comments
Published online: 17 September 2020
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