Improvement in U.K. dementia care urged

Hospitals in Britain are falling short in the care given to dementia patients and must make improvements, a review by the Royal College of Psychiatrists said. A review of 210 hospitals found that while services are safe, they are lacking in other areas such as communicating with families and personal care for patients. "This report provides further concrete evidence that the care of patients with dementia is in need of a radical shake-up," Peter Crome, who led the review, told the BBC. Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said most hospitals were doing a good job in dementia care but that some were "not up to the mark." Hospital staff told the reviewers they felt they lacked the skills necessary to handle dementia patients, with fewer than a third reporting they had received sufficient and proper training. Many hospitals have begun improving their practices based on the interim findings that have been made available to them, the review acknowledged. Health Minister Paul Burstow said the government was determined to improve standards of care.