Tag Archives: hospital

Three out of four nurses say they have no time to talk to older hospital patients

Nurses ‘have no time to talk to older patients’ because shortage of qualified staff is ‘compromising care’ on wards

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 00:20, 20 March 2012 | UPDATED: 08:17, 20 March 2012

Three out of four nurses say they have no time to talk to older hospital patients

Three out of four nurses say they have no time to talk to older hospital patients and many are so rushed they can’t help them to eat, a report warns.

Hospital consultants should consider working weekends

Hospital doctors told to rethink weekend working

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

 A shortage of senior doctors is said to be at the heart of the problem

Hospital consultants should consider working weekends to cut the spike in deaths, a doctors’ leader says.

Dr Mark Porter, the British Medical Association’s consultants chairman, said the mounting evidence about the problem meant it was time for doctors to put themselves forward if needed.

He said it would not be necessary for every speciality or hospital, but it needed to be looked at case-by-case.

There is a wealth of research into higher mortality rates at weekends.

At the end of last year, the research company Dr Foster found mortality rates rose by 10% at weekends. Other studies have shown similar correlations.

Staffing – and in particular the presence or absence of senior doctors – has been highlighted as a key factor.

Nurses to rally in Westminster against Health Bill

7 March, 2012 | By The Press Association

Opponents of the government’s controversial health reforms will today warn ministers that the changes represent the “biggest threat” the NHS has ever seen.

Thousands of nurses, midwives, doctors, physiotherapists, cleaners, porters and other NHS workers will attend a rally in Westminster in a last-ditch attempt to scupper the Health and Social Care Bill.

A psychiatric nurse, speech therapist, paramedic and pregnant mother will join union leaders and politicians in making speeches at the rally, as well as comedian Jo Brand, who once worked as a psychiatric nurse.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber will say: “The All Together for the NHS campaign is an unprecedented alliance of unions, royal colleges, professional groups, health service staff, patients and members of the public. Together we are speaking up for a publicly-accountable health service, for the values that make our NHS special and for the ethos of public service itself.