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The older people’s charity Age Cymru has called for all hospital and care staff to receive care training on the importance of patient dignity.

Age Cymru spoke out after an incident at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff, where the husband of a Welsh MP was allegedly treated with “coldness, resentment, indifference and contempt” by nurses shortly before he died.

Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd claimed that before her husband Owen Roberts died, he was cold, uncomfortable, cramped and wanted to go home. She said that he “died like a battery hen”.

The older people’s charity has said that unfortunately, cases like this are not isolated incidents and that hospitals need to make patient dignity a bigger priority during health and social care training.

Policy advisor for Age Cymru, Amy Clifton, said:

“Sadly Age Cymru believe this case is not a one-off as too often we hear reports from older people and their families across Wales of patients in hospital receiving poor standards of care,”
“In the worst cases such failings can constitute abuse and undermine basic human rights such as protection from degrading treatment, and the rights to privacy and preservation of life.”