NHS Meltdown: Doctors Prescribe Drinking Water to Prevent Elderly Deaths

There are two aspects of care in a hospital; medical treatment and what is sometimes called humane care.  The latter includes orally supplied food, water (for those who can partake), warmth, cleanliness, etc.  It isn’t “medical,” it is basic, and cannot be withdrawn.

But things have apparently gotten so bad at some NHS facilities that doctors are prescribing glasses of water to prevent the staff from forgetting to give elderly patients water, hundreds of whom are dehydrating to death each year. From the story:

Doctors are prescribing drinking water for neglected elderly patients to stop them dying of thirst in hospital. The measure – to remind nurses of the most basic necessity – is revealed in a damning report on pensioner care in NHS wards. Some trusts are neglecting the elderly on such a fundamental level their wards could face closure orders.

The snapshot study, triggered by a Mail campaign, found staff routinely ignored patients’ calls for help and forgot to check that they had had enough to eat and drink. Dehydration contributes to the death of more than 800 hospital patients every year. Another 300 die malnourished. The latest report – by the Care Quality Commission – found patients frequently complained they were spoken to in a ‘condescending and dismissive’ manner. The watchdog said three of 12 NHS trusts visited in the past three months were failing to meet the most basic standards required by law.

Unimaginable collapse of basic care! Florence Nightingale is weeping.