Hospitals Face Spot Checks For Elderly Care

Health inspectors will start making unannounced spot checks on hospital wards amid fears that elderly and vulnerable patients are being increasingly neglected, it has emerged.

{mosimage}The Healthcare Commission, which regulates hospitals, believes the dramatic move is necessary because standards of care for older people are being breached so regularly. It believes a “culture of neglect” has built up in some hospitals, made worse by mixed-sex wards and the attitude of some staff, resulting in geriatric patients being left lying in soiled sheets and not being allowed to visit the toilet.

Some pensioners are not being helped to eat, leaving them at risk of being given food to which they are allergic or choking on food they cannot swallow.

The Healthcare Commission is now planning to carry out unannounced visits to hospitals where families and patient groups claim there have been repeated breaches in care or dignity.

Its chief executive, Anna Walker, said: “We have been looking at this, and where we see a cluster of concerns, and feel we are not getting the full picture, we would want to go in without giving the hospital prior notice, and carry out a full check.”

A Government-commissioned report by the commission will reveal damning details how the culture of neglect has built up in some hospitals. It will also report on 23 investigations carried out at hospital trusts where standards have not been met.

Gordon Lishman, director-general of Age Concern England, agreed more needs to be done to safeguard the elderly in hospital.

“We hear far, far too many cases of older patients being neglected and deprived of their dignity,” he said.

“I’ve been told by doctors of patients who have been left in soiled sheets for many hours. How can that happen among staff who are part of a caring profession?”

Ministers are said to be determined to tackle breaches in care for the elderly and want standards of care to emulate those found in private hospitals.

Ivan Lewis, minister for older people, said: “The question facing all managers and staff is whether they would be satisfied with the standards of care they offer if the patient was a member of their own family.”

Health inspectors will start making spot checks on hospital wards amid fears that elderly and vulnerable patients are being increasingly neglected, it emerged yesterday.

The Healthcare Commission, which regulates hospitals, believes the dramatic move is necessary because standards of care for older people are being breached so regularly.

It believes a “culture of neglect” has built up in some hospitals, made worse by mixed-sex wards and the attitude of some staff, resulting in geriatric patients being left lying in soiled sheets and not being allowed to visit the lavatory.

Some pensioners are not being helped to eat, leaving them at risk of being given food to which they are allergic or choking on food they cannot swallow.

The commission is planning to carry out unannounced visits to hospitals where families and patient groups claim that there have been repeated breaches in care or dignity.

Anna Walker, the chief executive, said: “We have been looking at this, and where we see a cluster of concerns, and feel we are not getting the full picture, we would want to go in without giving the hospital prior notice and carry out a full check.”

A Government-commissioned report, to be published on Thursday, will reveal damning details how the culture of neglect has built up in some hospitals. It will also report on 23 investigations carried out at hospital trusts where standards have not been met.

Gordon Lishman, the director-general of Age Concern England, said more needed to be done to safeguard elderly people in hospital.

“We hear far, far too many cases of older patients being neglected and deprived of their dignity,” he said.

Ivan Lewis, the minister for older people, said: “The question facing all managers and staff is whether they would be satisfied with the standards of care they offer if the patient was a member of their own family.”