Roundup of Disability and Health News UK and Europe 7 October 2008

Directors of hospitals where patients have died from superbug infections because of failures by senior management will be prosecuted under new manslaughter laws, ministers have told NHS chiefs. The warning follows a number of high-profile investigations into MRSA and other superbug deaths which have failed to lead to any charges. MRSA deaths may see health bosses charged

London, UK - The UK Autism Foundation joined thousands of people including over 130 partner organisations in the biggest ever event to End Child Poverty in the United Kingdom on Saturday 4th October. There are over 500,000 people with autism in the United Kingdom, according to UK researchers 1 in 100 children is on the autism spectrum. The credit crunch is deeply affecting families with autism.  Of the 13,233,320 children in the UK,5,559,000 - more than a third live in poverty.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled (Coleman v Attridge Law) that a woman with a disabled child is entitled to protection from discrimination at work on the grounds of her child's disability. The case concerned the interpretation of the EU Equal Treatment Framework Directive and its impact on disability discrimination legislation in the UK.

The Inequalities in Health among School-Aged Children in Ireland report, published this morning, has been prepared from data gathered for the 2006 health behaviours in school-aged children (HBSC) study. It is based on a nationally representative sample of 10,334 children from 215 schools. The research shows that children with chronic illness and immigrant children are more likely than their peers to have been bullied. Children from the Travelling community are more likely to abuse alcohol, while 10-17 year olds attending schools receiving dedicated equality support were found to have the poorest health of all groups studied. Inequalities in health among children

To many, a diagnosis of autism in a child is a family tragedy and spells a lifetime of challenge. But a new study that investigates how Lego can help some autistic children to socialise is giving hope to families across Britain. More information on lego for autism

Sir Ken MacDonald the UK’s highest ranking prosecutor, said this week that disability hate crime is widespread and the criminal justice system is failing to address it. He urged UK police and prosecutors to seek tougher sentences against those who victimize people with disabilities.

Disability charity Scope is axing five senior posts and expects to lay off more staff soon. The organisation blamed economic conditions for the redundancies, which will see the departure of the executive director of external affairs, the disability commissioner, the director of campaigns, the head of co-production and the head of the programme development unit. The job losses are part of a series of cost-saving measures.

LONDON - Livability, the disability charity formed by the merger of John Grooms and the Shaftesbury Society, has appointed Burnett Works to work on donor recruitment. The campaign will roll out in several phases during the rest of 2008 and into 2009. For the first phase, Burnett Works is developing a pack to recruit donors, which will be tested over the coming months with the aim of creating a standard recruitment message. Livability director of fundraising and marketing John Chamberlain said: "With the new brand identity developed in the spring, it is now important to highlight the need for funds and how they will be used in our work with disabled people. Creating new propositions and finding new ways to recruit more donors is a key part of our strategy of the next two years as we seek to build the database."

Nearly all parents are convinced that their children have never taken drugs, according to a survey that suggests parents are woefully unaware of their offspring’s lives. NHS statistics state that roughly a quarter of children aged 11 to 15 admit to having taken drugs. But a survey published yesterday found that while 22% of parents think children in their neighbourhood take drugs, only 1% think their own children have done so.

More than half of older people are having to cut back on essentials such as heating and food because of the rising cost of living - while almost £3bn of State pension aid goes unclaimed each year. Tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of the launch of Gordon Brown's flagship pension credit scheme, which guarantees everyone over the age of 60 a weekly income of £124.05, or £189.35 for couples. Pensioners cut back as £3bn is unclaimed

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