The Royal College of Nursing in the UK has published shocking results of a survey of its members. They asked nurses about their experience of patients being treated with dignity in hospitals.
In total, 81% of those quizzed said they sometimes or always left their workplace feeling distressed or upset because they had not been able to give patients the kind of dignified care that they should. And 86% said dignity should be a higher priority.
This is quite stunning. Over eighty per cent of nurses claiming this means that not only are patients routinely NOT treated with dignity while they are in hospital but that most nurses are aware that this is a problem. One nurse said this –
“Patients seem to be becoming numbers not people. I am having to fight against what the system wants in order to provide dignified care to my patients.”
There is something seriously wrong at the heart of the NHS – staff need to speak up and express their concerns loudly and clearly. A health service is for the treatment of people – people at their most vulnerable. Its’ priorities should be PEOPLE – patients and staff – not those other artificially created targets and priorities, set so often by people who have no involvement in day to day care of patients.
Heroes Not Zombies 
Dr. Bob,
You post the best ideas. The least we can do is treat people with respect and dignity.
Sometimes I will see the younger ones make fun of someone. No matter how low someones seems they will have someone out there who loves them. Their people will feel like they deserve dignity. They do, and we should treat them all as human beings.
It might be me who runs out of luck next month, and I hope folks treat me kindly when I do.
Dr. B