A leading figure at Bradford University provides expert advice on elderly care for an undercover documentary on how one care home badly treated a resident which will be screened tonight for the BBC’s Panorama programme.

Paul Edwards, head of training and practice development and a senior lecturer with the Bradford Dementia Group at the university, provides the analysis for the programme titled Undercover: Elderly Care.

It shows hidden-camera footage from a London care home, rated as excellent by the national regulator, which showed an elderly woman, Maria Worroll, suffering ‘appalling’ treatment which led to five employees being sacked. One of those employees later pleaded guilty at Court to an assault charge and was jailed for 18 months.

The footage was captured by Mrs Worroll’s daughter, Jane Worroll, who will speak for the first time on television, about what happened and how she installed a hidden camera in her mother’s room at Ash Court, Kentish Town.

Mr Edwards is a mental health nurse and spent many years working in the NHS developing care and services for people with dementia. “It was pretty horrific to watch,” he said about the footage, which he saw for the first time with presenter Fiona Phillips as he was being filmed by the BBC.

“We are trying to raise awareness that dementia care on the whole is improving and getting better, but still some care cultures need to really address things in terms of quality of life and the care they need to provide.

“Society is now getting more concerned about what is happening in care homes.”

Following the abuse, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been criticised for failing to take appropriate action against the care home.

It produced a report three months after the filming took place which concluded: “Ash Court ensures that people who use the service are protected from abuse, or the risk of abuse, and their rights are respected and upheld.”

The Relatives & Residents’ Association, a small national charity which helps families and friends of those in care, has complained that the report failed to warn the public about the abuse that took place.

And Jane Worroll said: “When I read it, it was another slap around the face. It makes me worry for other people who are potentially about to put a relative into a care home.”

In response the CQC said it inspected the home within four days of learning what had happened to Maria Worroll but “did not find any new evidence of poor practice or abuse”. It stated: “If we had done so we would have taken action.”

Forest Healthcare, which runs Ash Court, said the assault was an isolated incident. The company said after disciplinary proceedings were completed the other four staff members involved were dismissed.

The Telegraph & Argus is running a campaign to win more dignity for elderly people.

Mr Edwards will be available for a live online chat on Twitter and Facebook during and after the programme. Follow @BradfordUni or #panorama and the Facebook group is called Bradford Dementia Group.