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Dignity4Patients

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Park Heights, Grange Rath, Drogheda, County Meath

Dignity4Patients

Dignity4Patients is a patient support and advocacy organisation. We work with people who have suffered sexual abuse or inappropriate sexual behaviour whilst a patient in a medical or therapeutic setting.

If you have had such an experience, up to now you may have felt alone, isolated or confused. Dignity4Patients will treat you with the respect and dignity that you deserve. We will listen without judgement.

If you, a family member or a friend think you may have suffered any form of sexual abuse or sexually inappropriate behaviour as a patient, please know that you are not alone. Dignity4Patients will provide you with information and support to help you make the best choices for your well-being. Support is also available to your family. Contact us today. We are here to help!

overview

Dignity4Patients vision for the future is a Healthcare system in which sexual violence and inappropriate sexual behaviour is met with a zero tolerance response, but when it does occur, victims and survivors have access to appropriate Support, Information and Advocacy to empower them and encourage resilience in their recovery. Every donation asssits in providing essential helpline support, Advocacy & Information to assist victims and survivors report the crime, obtain appropriate recovery support options and seek justice or reparation for the crimes commited against them as patients.

where your money goes

All donations received will help support the costs of running our service. The general costs associated with running our service are:

€ 25 will help Dignity4Patients pay the costs for our support staff to answer a helpline call from a victim-survivor and be there when they need us most.
€ 50 will help Dignity4Patients pay the costs for our advocacy staff to accompany a victim-survivorto An Garda Siochann to report crimes commited against them.
€ 100 will help Dignity4Patients pay the costs for our advocacy staff to to accompany a victim-survivor to court, or a medical council hearing or a hospital complaints investiagtion and advocate on their behalf.

history

Dignity4Patients was originally founded by Bernadette Sullivan a whistleblower at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda to bring about allegations of sexual abuse of patients to the attention of the Health authorities as far back as 1995. After initial complaints of sexual abuse were dismissed by the hospital management and An Garda Siochana. An internal hospital review only focused on practices and procedures not offenders. After much advocating on behalf of victim-survivors a review was commissioned by the Dept. of Health by a retired judged. Unfortunately, this review remains sealed in the Dept of Heath and any learnings or outcomes have failed to be implemented. However, over 330 victim-survivors have never had their trauma recognised nor have they received an apology from the offender, the hospital management or the government appointed to safeguard them at the time. 

Dismayingly, Sexual abuse of patients continues today and such abuse still goes unreported and hidden by health service providers, who deny the problem or seek to silence victim-survivors. Offenders go unpunished or allowed to leave the state while victim-survivors are often forced to accept private settlements, with attached non discloure agreements, ultimately hiding the scale of patient sexual abuse and the life long suffering of victim-survivors.

Gift Donations

Make a donation as a gift on behalf of someone special by clicking below.

Following your donation, you will receive a Gift Donation Certificate, which you can send to the person that you made the donation on behalf of, or print for yourself.

The Gift of €25

The Gift of €25

Donate €25 on behalf of someone special, and give them a gift that keeps on giving

The Gift of €50

The Gift of €50

Donate €50 on behalf of someone special, and give them a gift that keeps on giving

The Gift of €100

The Gift of €100

Donate €100 on behalf of someone special, and give them a gift that keeps on giving

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