HC Deb 16 June 1994 vol 244 cc623-4W
Mrs. Browning

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made following the report by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting on standards of nursing in nursing homes; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis

I welcome the clear statement by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting that the vast majority of residents of nursing homes are looked after well. I share the UKCC's concern about the rare cases where abuse or neglect by nursing staff occurs. Any single such case is a betrayal of nursing trust.

I endorse the practical advice given in the report and the messages that it sends to the nursing profession, to nurse trainers, to managers and matrons of nursing homes and to district health authorities as responsible for inspections and registration under the Registered Homes Act 1984.

We shall be seeking to ensure that lessons are learned and advice carried forward, in the light of this report, by nurses' representatives, trainers, supervisors and inspectors.

The message of this report is that the number of incidents leading to disciplinary proceedings against a nurse in a nursing home is small in relation to the considerably increased number of residents in nursing homes over the past years.

Nevertheless, we believe that one case is a case too many.