Government Pledges To Improve Hospital Care Standards
Thursday 12th of January 2012
The Government has announced plans to drive up the standard of care provided in British hospitals, especially nursing care. A series of new measures will be introduced that will focus on ensuring patients are cared for with compassion and dignity and in a clean environment. Produced in response to a damning Care Quality Commission report on the state of hospital care standards, published in October 2011, the Government's plans aim to reduce 'stifling bureaucracy' in hospitals so nurses can concentrate on caring for patients.
Amongst the new measures will be a new Nursing Quality Forum which will involve patients, relatives and carers as well as nursing leaders in monitoring key areas such as nutrition and cleanliness. Prime Minister David Cameron commented: 'If we want dignity and respect, we need to focus on nurses and the care they deliver. Nursing needs to be about patients not paperwork. So we are going to get rid of a whole load of bureaucracy that stops nurses from doing what they do best.'
The announcements have been welcomed by The Patients' Association as supporting their own CARE Campaign which challenges healthcare staff to provide minimum standards of hospital care such as pain management and help with eating and drinking. However, Chief Executive Katherine Murphy pointed out that similar initiatives have failed in the past, and said that '...the Prime Minister needs to ensure that the rhetoric of today is turned into reality tomorrow, and we will continue to ensure that the voice of patients is heard at all times'.
MPs urged to work together on elderly social care crisis
A group of 72 charities, NHS leaders, faith groups and health insurance companies has written an open letter to the Daily Telegraph, calling on politicians from all parties to work together to tackle the UK's failing elderly social care system. The letter describes the social care crisis as an '...unavoidable challenge...which we are failing to meet – resulting in terrible examples of abuse and neglect in parts of the care system.'
In 2011, the various political parties agreed to cross-party talks about social care reform and their first meeting on the subject will take place this month (January 2012). The Department of Health is expected to publish a White Paper on the subject this spring. But in the wake of the Dilnot report, which proposes a radical overhaul to the current system, and the collapse of the Southern Cross care home group in 2011, the issue is causing increasing and widespread concern.
In his response to the Daily Telegraph letter, Minister for Care Services Paul Burstow agreed that social care reform is 'an urgent priority'. He states that the Government has already invested £7.2 billion in social care since coming into power, with another £150 million earmarked this year for improving home care services.
Shadow Health Minister Andy Burnham voiced his support for cross-party talks, noting that David Cameron and Nick Clegg have already agreed to work with Ed Miliband going forward. He also comments: 'For cross-party talks to be a success, it will be imperative that David Cameron and Nick Clegg show personal leadership in this process too by getting around the table.'
Mencap speaks up on NHS abuse
The mental health charity Mencap has spoken out against the NHS, accusing medical staff of 'institutional discrimination' against patients with learning difficulties – leading to 74 deaths in the last 10 years. The Health Ombudsman is investigating and has already found four of the deaths to be 'avoidable' and serious failings in eight of the other cases.
Mencap's Head of Policy, David Congden, commented on the report: 'These cases are a damning indictment of NHS care for people with a learning disability...As a result of institutional discrimination...people with a learning disability are dying when their lives could be saved.'
Minister for Care Services Paul Burstow said the Government shares Mencap's concerns and will extend its enquiries into the deaths as well as funding improvements for the healthcare of people with learning disabilities. Meanwhile, NHS Medical Director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh condemned the report's findings as 'disgraceful' and urged the Department of Health to: '...continue to compel providers to ensure that all patients receive the care they deserve.'
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