Nurses call for improvements to dementia care

Published: 16 March 2010

Commenting on the Public Accounts Committee report Improving dementia services in England – an interim report, Janet Davies, Executive Director of Nursing and Service Delivery at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:

“It is deeply concerning that dementia care is still not being dealt with as a priority. Training and education for healthcare staff working in all settings is absolutely vital if care for dementia patients is to improve. Greater investment is also needed for specialist dementia nurses, who provide invaluable support for dementia patients, their carers and families. Ahead of the General Election, we urge all political parties to ensure that every patient with dementia has guaranteed access to specialist nursing care."

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Notes for Editors

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Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.