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Channel4 News tonight (5th September) reported on the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower Fire and the 72 deaths and their relatives and survivors from the worst fire in history of UK's residential buildings. Despite the Governments claim it will block any company indicted by the report of greed, and lies, and putting profit before lives; will never work in Government contracts again, the Kings Fund has identified one Company - Rydon - as being contracted to the NHS!
Rydon is the company that led the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower during 2015-16 which resulted in external cladding being installed onto the face of the tower block. Metropolitan Police have launched a criminal investigation into the fire and have said that the cladding and installation fitted at Grenfell had failed “all safety tests”. The King's Fund is an independent charitable organisation working to improve health and care in England. The King's Fund report (published on Monday 9th September) reveals that survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire faced significant failures in health and care services, echoing the same disregard and lack of responsiveness they had experienced before the disaster. The report highlights how structural racism and discrimination shaped the response of healthcare authorities, who often imposed interventions without considering the specific needs of the community. This mismatch between what the authorities thought was necessary and what survivors actually required further alienated those most affected. One striking example was the offering of mental health services that were culturally insensitive, such as providing Muslim men with cognitive behaviour therapy from white female therapists, which many found unsuitable. Similarly, a "screen and treat" program, meant to address health concerns, missed many of the most impacted individuals despite targeting 11,000 homes. While mental health teams were commended for their prompt and attentive response, physical health services fell short. Enhanced health screenings for survivors were inconsistent, with some general practitioners (GPs) unaware they were supposed to provide them. Natasha Elcock, a survivor, described her frustration at being denied the opportunity to have blood samples taken for future health monitoring, a service offered to firefighters for research purposes. The King’s Fund report aims to ensure that lessons are learned from these failures, stressing the importance of listening to and collaborating with affected communities to inform future health and care responses in disaster situations. The report will be available via a link in the news item on Monday 9th September. Source: Channel 4 News / The Kings Fund |
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In 2004 Rydon secured the largest mental health PFI contract in the country for the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, a contract still in place.