Nurses who think it's not their job to care: NHS forced to remind staff to feed patients

"I am romantic about the NHS; I love it. All I need to do to rediscover the romance is to look at health care in my own country." Donald Berwick, MD, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Nurses are having to be reminded that it is part of their job to feed frail patients and check if they have bedsores.

Millions of patients suffer pressure ulcers, hip fractures following falls or malnutrition during their stay in hospital, a report by Health Service bosses said.

But it added that most of these cases could be avoided.

The report, which has been sent to hospitals to remind staff of their duties, includes guidance on how to improve standards of care – which amazingly includes such obvious steps as keeping patients well-nourished.

It shows that 70 per cent of patients with malnutrition are never identified by nurses, 10 per cent suffer bedsores and there are more than 200,000 falls a year on NHS property.

Oops.