Please support the Campaign for “Gloria’s Law” (the legal right to a Care Supporter) because whatever's happening in the world outside, if we're in a care home or hospital, we should have the legal right to be supported by the person who knows us best.

Four years ago, we never imagined we’d become passionate campaigners, but Covid turned our worlds upside down. While mum was Isolated in a care home, starved of the emotional support she desperately relied on, we witnessed her rapid decline, via windows and iPads, powerless to comfort her. The distress was unimaginable, as she was unable to understand why her daughters had disappeared. 

In response to this traumatic experience Jenny Morrison and Diane Mayhew set up the Rights for Residents campaign, calling for a change in legislation.

West End performer and actress Ruthie Henshall lost her own mum Gloria, after witnessing her decline from the other side of a care home window. Her mum was also denied the support and love she deserved, at the end of her life, when she needed it most. Tragically, she passed away after many months of isolation and separation from her family. As the Ambassador for the Rights for Residents Campaign, Ruthie is fighting to change the law, so that when we’re scared or dying, we will always have the chance to hold the hand of a loved one.

Responding to campaigners, the Conservative government introduced new secondary legislation to strengthen visiting in care settings, via the CQC regulations. However, this will not give anyone of us a legal right to have their closest loved one by their side when they're at their most vulnerable in hospital or a health care setting.

Sir Keir Starmer has publicly supported our campaign for Gloria’s Law. However, we must push the Labour government to act with more urgency to make good on the Prime Minister's personal promise to bring forward legislation because:

• We need to know that the person we love and trust can always advocate for us.
• Guidance shouldn’t dictate when we can be supported by our closest loved one
• Without this law our rights are not protected – guidance cannot be 
• We want to hold our loved one's hand when we're scared or dying.
• Nobody wants to die alone.

These things are NOT a given. The pandemic showed we can be stripped of our rights at any time. We’ve witnessed the catastrophic impact that separation had on vulnerable people during the pandemic and we cannot risk history being repeated.

As an amendment to the existing National Health Service Act, Gloria's Law would be easy and quick to implement:

• The Bill has huge cross party support in Parliament
• It would cost nothing to implement, and the value to all of us is incalculable.
• Over 100 major charities, health organisations, corporate care providers and care associations have publicly signed up in support of this legal right.
• Our petition already has almost 300,000 signatures – demonstrating huge public support.

Every signature makes a difference so please sign and share with your own family and friends.

Thank you for signing.

Some of the organisations supporting the call for Gloria's Law: