An official report, widely published in the UK media this week, reveals cases of a serious shortfall in support and respect for vulnerable elderly receiving hospital care in England.
An article in The Guardian concludes that the report, produced by NHS ombudsman, Ann Abraham, ‘details serious failings in how NHS staff managed the patients’ pain, nutritional needs and discharge from hospital, often with disastrous consequences.’
The report highlights 10 anonymous cases brought to the ombudsman, in which elderly men and women failed to receive the ‘care, compassion and respect they deserved’. Some of the findings were deemed harrowing. The report will inevitably stoke the political debate on health service cuts, target driven management styles, professional culture and the adequacy of clinical governance within the NHS.
Read the full article in the The Guardian here.
More news articles can be found here:
The Telegraph – NHS shamed over callous treatment of elderly
The Independent – Hungry, thirsty, unwashed: NHS treatment of the elderly condemned
The BBC – NHS ‘failing to treat elderly with care and respect’