CQC publishes its national dignity and nutrition report

Over the spring / summer of 2011, the Care Quality Commission undertook a review of 100 hopsitals. The aim of the review was to see whether or not older people were treated with respect when they were admitted to hospital, and to see whether or not they were able to have access to the food and drink that met their needs.

The Care Quality Commission found that:

Of the 100 hospitals they inspected:

• 45 hospitals met both standards (they were ‘fully compliant’).
• 35 met both standards but needed to improve in one or both (they were ‘fully compliant, with improvements suggested’).
• 20 hospitals did not meet one or both standards (they were ‘non-compliant, with improvements required’).

Where they did find problems, some of the important issues were:

• Patients’ privacy not being respected – for example, curtains and screens not being closed properly.
  
• Call bells being put out of patients’ reach, or not answered soon enough.
• Staff speaking to patients in a dismissive or disrespectful way.
• Patients not being given the help they needed to eat.
• Patients being interrupted during meals and having to leave their food unfinished.

If your health or social care organisation needs help complying with CQC standards, give Words Worth Reading Ltd a call.