Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales, Eleanor Burnham, has joined with Age Cymru and the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales in calling for urgent action to be taken to implement the recommendations of a report showing how older people are treated in Welsh hospitals.
The report, “Dignified Care?” was released this week and highlights shortcomings in “attitudes and practices” in some hospital wards where older people are treated.
The Older People’s Commissioner, Ruth Marks, has called the treatment, “shamefully inadequate”.
Speaking before an Assembly debate on the matter, Ms Burnham, Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Older People and Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Older People and Ageing in the Assembly, said:
“The majority of hospital staff are kind, caring and compassionate.
“However, some of the incidents uncovered by the Panel of Inquiry are completely unacceptable.
“No patient should have to ring a relative at 3am and ask them bring a duvet to the hospital because they’re so cold they can’t sleep, neither should they be left sitting in soiled clothes because nobody’s available to take them to the toilet.
“The report makes twelve recommendations for change: I urge the Government to give serious and immediate consideration to each one and make sure that staff who look after older people have relevant and appropriate training.
“This is about real people suffering real indignities at a time when they can least defend themselves.
“It’s time for this Assembly to put Punch and Judy politics aside, make a mature and concerted effort to take responsibility and end this shamefully inadequate treatment of older people.”
