Hospital Patients 'Treated In Mop Cupboards'

9:26am UK, Tuesday March 09, 2010

Graham Fitzgerald, Sky News Online

video at the link

Hospital patients are routinely treated in TV rooms, mop cupboards and corridors because hospitals are too full, a new survey has claimed.
It found kitchens and storage areas are also used while extra beds are put on wards, increasing the risk of infection.

The poll of more than 900 nurses for Nursing Times found 63% were aware of patients being placed in areas not designed for clinical care.

Almost eight in 10 (79%) said they believed this resulted in patient safety being put in danger.

Of those who were aware of the practice, 29% said it happened every day, 29% said several times a week and 11% said once a week.

Nurses' safety concerns included patients having no access to call bells or water, as well as a lack of emergency equipment and fire exits being blocked.

A total of 83% of nurses said they had raised the problem with senior staff but only 4% said the practice had been stopped.

Reasons cited for the use of non-clinical areas included the hospital being "full", A&E being "under pressure" or a risk that the Government's four-hour target for people to be seen in A&E may be breached.

The vast majority of NHS patients experience good quality, safe and effective care. However, we acknowledge there is more to do.

A Department of Health spokesman

Others said the move had been authorised by senior managers, while some nurses said they had been bullied and accused of "not being a team player" for raising their concerns.

More than 300 who responded to the survey gave examples of what happened to patients.

One said: "Areas used to accommodate patients are also used as storage areas and therefore have linen and spare equipment in them.

"One patient described it as an overspill car park."

Another said: "Urine bottles are not emptied and meals are missed, as staff are not aware of the patient."

The survey was carried out after Nursing Times was approached by a group of worried nurses.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The vast majority of NHS patients experience good quality, safe and effective care.

"However, we acknowledge there is more to do and will continue to strive to make services even safer."

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