Dignity must be upheld in trusts - NHS Confederation

The NHS Confederation has responded to the Care Quality Commission’s State of Care report, which provides details of performance within NHS trusts, acknowledging several improvements, but calling for better treatment of patients in regard to dignity and respect.

Commenting on the report, deputy director of policy Jo Webber said: “The figures in this report show NHS trusts have made improvements in a number of areas including rates of cleanliness and infection control. We should rightly acknowledge the NHS's success in reducing rates of MRSA and C.diff and providing safe patient care.

“However, the report highlights the fact that some really important issues, such as patient dignity, remain a problem for some trusts. Meeting minimum standards on dignity in care is just a starting point and regulation will only get us so far. Every NHS patient should expect to experience something better than this - the NHS Constitution makes this clear.”

A joint commission has been set up on the issue to allow the NHS to take active responsibility for ensuring quality care, including treating patients with dignity and respect, Webber said.

She highlighted the difficulty between keeping waiting times low and cutting costs at the same time, saying: “We know NHS leaders will have to make some difficult decisions about how care is planned and delivered if we are to avoid a deterioration in the standard of services and patient access to care.”

Webber concluded: “This challenge is made ever greater by the fact that the NHS is being asked to produce £20bn in savings at the same time it is going through the biggest structural reorganisation it has ever experienced.”