RCN welcomes new commission on dignity in care

Published: 20 July 2011

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today (20 July) welcomed the new commission on improving dignity in care provided to older patients in hospitals and care homes.

RCN Chief Secretary & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter said: “We have been clear that the failures of care outlined in recent CQC and Health Service Ombudsman’s reports are wholly inexcusable. Every patient should receive the highest possible standards of dignity and care and we are fully supportive of this new initiative by the NHS Confederation, Local Government Group and Age UK.

“We look forward to contributing fully to the commission and identifying why poor care has occurred in certain areas. One of our key concerns is the importance of safe staffing levels. Poor standards of care are often accompanied by an underlying failure in ensuring safe staffing levels and the right levels of skill mix. We are concerned that with 40,000 posts already identified to be lost across the NHS, care across all sectors of the health service is inevitably going to be affected.”

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Notes for Editors

For further information, interviews or illustrations please contact the RCN Media Office on 0207 647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media

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.