NHS patients' rights championed (From Your Local Guardian)

NHS patients' rights championed

7:00am Friday 17th February 2012 in Epsom By Sophia Sleigh

The board of Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals backed a campaign championing the rights of NHS patients on Friday, February 3.

With the full support of the chair Laurence Newman, chief executive Matthew Hopkins and director of nursing Pippa Hart, the hospitals have publically committed to the CARE campaign, which is being spearheaded by the Patients Association.

The campaign aims to ensure that patients are provided with the level of care they deserve.

As part of the campaign, the Patients Association has set NHS organisations four challenges.

They are to communicate with passion, assist with toileting and ensuring dignity, relieve pain effectively and encourage adequate nutrition.

Pippa Hart said they were more than happy to sign up to the campaign and give it their full backing.

She said: "We will use the information and evidence provided by the Patient Association to build on and boost the work we already do to ensure our patients are treated with utmost compassion at all times."

For more information about the work of Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals, visit epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk. To read more about the CARE campaign visit patients-association.com.