RCN response to CQC report on dignity and nutrition for older people

Published: 26 May 2011

Embargoed until 00:01 26 May 2011

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today (26 May) responded to the CQC’s first report into dignity and nutrition for older people.

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter said: “Some of the concerns raised in this report are truly shocking and we are clear that there is simply no excuse for failing to treat patients with the respect and dignity they deserve. All nurses, doctors and allied health professionals should be able to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of patients and their families. We know that there are relatively small pockets of the NHS that do not deliver good nursing care and this is unacceptable. It is vital that both the three Trusts identified as failing to meet essential standards, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council as the regulator, now act on these findings as a matter of the utmost urgency.

“The report also highlights many examples of excellent care delivered by nurses and across the NHS, the majority of patients report that their care is good or excellent. However, this will be no consolation to the patients and their relatives who have experienced poor care.

“We know that with 40,000 NHS posts already earmarked to be lost, and many more expected to go, frontline care is inevitably going to be affected. In a recent RCN survey, just 17 per cent of respondents said that staffing levels at their workplace were quite good or very good, and a quarter of nurses said they provided last minute cover for absentee staff at least fortnightly. Poor standards of care are often accompanied by an underlying failure in ensuring safe staffing levels and the right level of skill.”

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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.