11. Health Provision
Disability is not about health, although many see it that way. However, disabled people are entitled to Appropriate and Accessible Heath Provision in the same way as every one else. This means that health provision should be accessible in physical, logistical, and equal terms. This means involving patients who are disabled people in the consultation process as other patients are already included and consulted. It means that it should be possible to visit wards, doctors, clinics and out patients without extra hardship or obstacle. A major objective of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 was to ‘promote the development of domiciliary, day and respite services to enable people to live an independent and dignified life at home wherever feasible and sensible’ but it is still the case that too many people are placed in residential care when a less restrictive alternative would be more appropriate for them.
