Nursing standards: PM aims to tackle 'care problem'

Nurses will be told to do regular ward rounds and patients encouraged to carry out inspections as part of a drive to improve hospital standards in England. They will form part of a package of measures announced by the prime minister to tackle what he sees as a "real problem" with patient care. David Cameron believes there is too much bureaucstoday racy and wants nurses to spend more time with patients. The move has come after a series of critical reports in the past year. In November, the Patients Association published a report containing 16 "shameful" stories about the care of elderly patients. It included people being denied pain relief, left to sit in their own faeces and going without food and drink. 'Appalled' The dossier was published just a month after the Care Quality Commission attacked hospitals for what the regulator said were "alarming" levels of care. The Health Service Ombudsman also raised concerns about the issue in February, reporting that nearly a fifth of complaints it got were related to the care of the elderly. The standards of care on hospital wards have dogged the government in the past year. Stories of vulnerable patients being left without food and water and in terrible pain understandably stir public anger. And so this announcement is an attempt by the prime minister to wrestle back the initiative. Much of what is being unveiled is simply building on what already happens. For example, nearly two-thirds of hospitals are involved in the Time to Care initiative, while nurse rounds are commonplace on some wards. But while you will not find many in the NHS disagreeing with what the prime minister is saying, the big question is whether this can be done when the health service is under tremendous pressure. The level of savings the NHS has to make - £20bn by 2015 - is unprecedented. Unions say it means jobs are being lost and resources stretched, raising questions about how achievable the aims are. In each case, questions were raised about nursing standards because many of the basic failings - communication, nutrition, pain relief and assistance going to the toilet - fell under their remit. The prime minister will unveil the full package of measures on a visit to a hospital in the north-west of England on Friday. He will say: "There's something really fundamental that needs to be put right fast. "We need an NHS which ensures that every patient is cared for with compassion and dignity in a clean environment." He will say while most patients are happy with their care, there are too many cases where people do not get the food and drink they need, or the respect they deserve. He will also admit to being "absolutely appalled" by the examples of poor care that have been brought to light. New inspection regime Central to his plan to tackle the problem is the Time to Care initiative, which is already being rolled out across hospital trusts. The NHS-backed programme has been designed to give hospitals advice and support on how to redesign their systems so that staff are freed up to improve the care they provide to patients. All trusts will be expected to be involved in this by 2013. Mr Cameron will also say that he wants nurses to carry out hourly ward rounds to check on patients at their bedside. The new patient-led inspection regime will see members of the public invited to assess cleanliness, food, privacy and dignity on wards alongside official teams. Bonus payments will also be available to those places that do well on four key measures - pressure ulcers, falls, blood clots and hospital infections. And a new Nursing Quality Forum is being established to identify good practice across the heath service. Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said the initiatives would be welcomed by the profession. "Our members tell us time and again that they want to focus on delivering care and they are committed to that care being of the highest quality," he said. But he added that the plans being put forward relied on having "enough nurses to carry them out" - something that was being put at risk by cuts on the front-line. Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, said: "The prime minister needs to ensure that the rhetoric of today is turned into reality tomorrow." Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham added: "If the prime minister wants to help nurses focus on patient care, he should listen to what they are saying and drop his unnecessary health bill."