STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “Too often patients and their families are treated without compassion, are uninformed about treatment and next steps and feel ignored and side-lined when they raise concerns or complaints.  “The NHS is failing many of the most vulnerable members of society and patients and the public have told us about inconsistencies in the provision of care, poor standards of care and compassion, and a lack of openness and transparency in communication between healthcare staff, patients and their families,” she added. The report found that patients were scared to report problems because of “fear of recriminations,” despite the fact that the majority of people who raise concerns are motivated by a desire to improve conditions for other patients, not to get staff in trouble. It is especially important for patients to be kept informed about how their treatment will progress, but many felt that they were either left in the dark or not listened to.