Cameron tells NHS think about dignity

David Cameron yesterday called for patients to be treated with dignity and respect as hospitals are told to end the practice of discharging vulnerable people from wards during the night.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of the NHS, has also written to Strategic Health Authorities urging them to “urgently” review their practices after it emerged hundreds of thousands of patients are sent home in the middle of the night.

His warning comes as the Prime Minister was due to meet nurses in Downing Street to discuss efforts to improve care and “restore a sense of pride” to the profession.

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Mr Cameron hosted the first meeting of the Nursing and Care Quality Forum, announced in January to address concerns about the way some patients are treated.

Mr Cameron asked nurses, patient representatives and medical experts, to research ways of ensuring that nurses have the time to provide proper care.

“Nurses are some of the most caring, compassionate people in the country and I want to do everything possible to allow them to do a fantastic job,” he said.

“That means learning from the best – and helping everyone to match those great standards.”