Day: September 13, 2024

Turmoil at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre following critical report

ERCC Chief Executive resigns

Rape survivors are no longer being referred to an Edinburgh support service after a review found Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre failed to protect women-only spaces.

The report, which was commissioned by parent body Rape Crisis Scotland, says ERCC’s chief executive officer – a trans woman – failed to behave professionally and did not understand the limits of her authority.

The report also found that Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre had not put survivors first or adhered to national service standards.

Rape Crisis Scotland, Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre’s parent body, issued the following statement in response to the independent review:

‘The independent review of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) has presented challenging findings, and recommendations for improvements to the organisation, its operations, and how it provides services. It also makes important recommendations for Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS), which we accept and will act on.

‘We are extremely concerned that for around 16 months ERCC did not provide dedicated women only spaces, as required by the National Service Standards, while declaring to RCS that they were adhering to the standards. This is a significant breach.

‘We have asked ERCC to produce an action plan, with clear timescales, to implement the review’s recommendations. We have also requested that ERCC conducts an urgent review of its data protection and safeguarding policies and procedures, and they have confirmed that this work is underway.

In the meantime, we have paused referrals to ERCC. Our helpline workers can discuss alternative support arrangements with survivors in Edinburgh at this time.

‘The needs of survivors should be listened to and respected when they come to any Rape Crisis Centre. It is important that survivors can make informed choices about the services they access at Rape Crisis Centres, and we recognise that for some survivors this includes the choice of a single sex service.

‘We are working with our member Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland to consider what more we need to do to ensure survivors can make informed choices about the support they receive from Rape Crisis Centres, to ensure they are able to access the services they need.

‘All member Rape Crisis Centres are signed up to working within National Service Standards which operate across Scotland, and England and Wales. These standards detail the high quality of service every survivor should expect to receive from a Rape Crisis Centre. Membership of Rape Crisis Scotland is based upon a shared commitment to, and evidencing of, the Rape Crisis National Service Standards.

“Over the next year, we will go through a process of assessment with our member centres to support them to evidence that the National Service Standards are being met across Scotland.”

That response is simply not good enough for some organisations that work with women, however. Women’s rights group FOR WOMEN SCOTLAND issued the following statement:

‘We are saddened – if unsurprised – that Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre has been found wanting in so many respects.

‘The Review Report lays bare the failings which have impacted the most vulnerable women. While Edinburgh RCC, undoubtedly, adopted a particularly extreme and egregious version of gender identity ideology and relentless pursued anyone who dared to question their policy of self ID, similar issues are apparent in other centres in Scotland and in Rape Crisis Scotland itself.

‘Sandy Brindley (Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland – Ed.) has been repeatedly warned by women in the Rape Crisis Network, by survivors, and by women’s rights organisations that self-ID policies were reckless and cruel.

‘Nevertheless, she insisted – including to a group of survivors – that men were women if they claimed a female identity, she vigorously defended Mridul Wadhwa who conducted the heresy hunt in ERCC, and she presided over the introduction of policies which included trans-identified men in women only services.

‘In several Parliamentary appearances, she claimed that these policies did not create any problems in running rape crisis services. That has now been exposed for the lie it always was.

‘We believe that the problems are endemic and structural, and they cannot be resolved simply by rearranging the deckchairs at ERCC. As a matter of priority, Mridul Wadhwa must be removed from post, but those board members who presided over his tenure and defended him at Roz Adams’ tribunal must also go.

‘We also believe that Sandy Brindley’s position is also now untenable. Fortunately, women in the Lothians have an alternative women-only service and we believe that Rape Crisis Scotland should, as a matter of urgency, confirm that Beira’s Place will be able to take on referrals.

‘Beira’s Place should also be involved in restructuring both the local and national services. Only these measures will restore trust in this critical service.

‘Too many women were betrayed and harmed – this must never happen again.’

**** UPDATE ****

It has been announced this morning that ERCC Chief Executive Mridul Wadhwa has stepped down:

Mridul Wadhwa and the Board have decided that the time is right for a change of leadership in at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC).  

Mridul has stood down from her role as CEO of ERCC. Recruitment of a new CEO will happen in due course.  

We are committed to delivering excellence while taking on board the recommendations from the independent review to ensure we place survivors voices at the heart of our strategy.  

We are in daily communication with Rape Crisis Scotland, have met their urgent demands, and are currently implementing the recommendations in the report.

“We will continue to work alongside RCS to ensure our services not only meet but exceed the National Service Standards. 

Board of Directors, Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre

ALBA MSP Ash Regan said: “The Minister for Equalities must now report to Parliament on what steps will be taken to ensure those at the government-funded Rape Crisis Scotland, who presided over the unlawful introduction of males within their single-sex service, are accountable for their part in this damaging dereliction of duty to service users.

“Thank goodness @jkrowling stepped up for Lothian women with the single-sex trauma service @beirasplace in 2022.”

Former Edinburgh MP Joanna Cherry KC said: “I’m glad to hear that Mridul Wadwa is no longer the CEO of Rape Crisis Edinburgh but the appalling culture over which this man who identifies as a woman presided goes much deeper.

“This should not be an end of the matter. Others need to consider their position”.

Charity marks World Sepsis Day with viral petition urging action in light of Lord Darzi’s NHS investigation

  • The findings of Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service echo a national sepsis charity’s calls for action
  • The UK Sepsis Trust’s petition calling for Government to ‘step up’ its act on sepsis has accumulated over 35,000 signatures since launch at start of September for sepsis awareness month
  • The charity has three key asks to help improve sepsis outcomes and reduce the total number of deaths each year in the UK from 48,000  

TODAY, on World Sepsis Day, 13th September 2024, the UK Sepsis Trust is calling for urgent action to address health inequalities, prevent avoidable infections, and integrate advanced diagnostics into NHS clinical systems to improve sepsis care.  

Recent reports from the National Child Mortality Database and research from the University of Manchester, have shed light on the critical role health inequalities play in sepsis outcomes; these findings underscore the need for equitable access to healthcare services, particularly in sepsis cases, where delays in diagnosis and treatment contribute to 48,000 deaths in the UK each year.  

As highlighted in Lord Darzi’s Independent Review of the NHS, published yesterday, there are stark regional variations in access to GP services—an issue mirrored in the management of sepsis across the country. 

UK Sepsis Trust’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels said: “To further strengthen our health system’s ability to respond to sepsis, we need to urgently integrate diagnostics into clinical systems, enabling healthcare professionals to make rapid, targeted decisions.

“This forms one of the three key demands in our charity’s petition to the Government, which has gathered over 35,000 signatures since the start of September. Our petition calls for sepsis to be prioritised alongside heart attacks and strokes, ensuring that rapid diagnostics are available at every patient touchpoint within the NHS.  

“Sepsis has far-reaching economic impacts. As highlighted in Lord Darzi’s report, the NHS has struggled to support individuals in their recovery from critical illness, often failing to help them return to work.

“This is not only a health issue but an economic one. On World Sepsis Day, we renew our call for the Government and the NHS to take immediate action. Sepsis is an emergency. Let’s prioritise its prevention and treatment to save lives, improve outcomes for survivors, and safeguard the future of our health system.” 

Even when sepsis outcomes do not result in tragic loss of life, many survivors and their families continue to suffer from long-term health issues and challenges. Around 40% of survivors have one or more of cognitive, psychological or physical sequelae, with nearly 80,000 people each year suffering with potentially life-changing after effects.

UKST provides free, Support Nurse-led services to survivors, many of whom find their ability to function is impacted by Post Sepsis Syndrome (PSS) – with symptoms reported by sepsis survivors including fatigue (80%), anxiety (53%), and trouble concentrating (47%). 37% report difficulty performing tasks they could previously, while 34% suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It’s easy to see how this affects peoples’ ability to work.  

In a survey conducted in August 2024, UKST found that 83% survivors were not told about PSS by healthcare professionals, and 68% of survivors and 64% of caregivers of survivors, weren’t given information about support resources and services after sepsis.

To help improve sepsis outcomes, The UK Sepsis Trust is calling for the government to:  

  • Measure and publish performance data on the sepsis care pathway. Reliable data are needed to understand the quality of NHS sepsis care, identify opportunities for improvement and provide targeted support where needed. 
  • Empower frontline decision-making with better integration of rapid diagnostics. There is no single test to diagnose sepsis, but diagnostics help doctors make important decisions about the types of treatment to use. Diagnostic tests are typically done in centralised laboratories, which means clinicians have to wait for the results. Time is of the essence when treating sepsis, so health professionals need access to fast and reliable tests to reduce preventable deaths. 
  • Raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis and signpost rehabilitation services to reduce pressures on the NHS. Empowering the public to ‘Just Ask: Could it be Sepsis?” can help save lives, and ensuring survivors have access to ongoing care and support will help keep them well and out of hospital. 

Sign and support the charity’s petition here: Make Sepsis a Priority in the NHS.