A Tale of Two Inquiries
Sans Everything and Ely
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10358305 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Claire Hilton (0000-0002-6697-8373, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 90 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 185-193 |
| Publication date | 2019-05-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Political Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0032-3179 • E-ISSN: 1467-923X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1467-923x.12692 |
| OpenAlex | W2946559290 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
The government acknowledged scandalously poor care of long‐stay patients in National Health Service ( NHS ) hospitals in 1969. This followed the Ely Hospital inquiry, which emerged in the aftermath of revelations of abuse at seven hospitals described in Barbara Robb's book Sans Everything: A Case to Answer (1967). Allegations in Sans Everything and at Ely were similar. However, the inquiry committees which investigated, ‘disproved’ those in Sans Everything and upheld those at Ely. The Ely inquiry became pivotal to NHS policy reform for long‐stay mental illness and mental handicap hospitals, and for giving patients and their families a greater voice if they had concerns about inadequacies. This paper explains the relationship between Sans Everything and ‘Ely’ and analyses the impact of Robb's work—her high‐profile press campaign, networking, and determination to achieve improvement—which triggered revelations at Ely and elsewhere, and helped shape the course and constructive outcome of the Ely inquiry
Constructive · Government (linguistics · Mental health · Mental illness · Political science · Psychiatry · Sociology · Work (physics · Engineering · Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices · Psychology · Public Administration
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |