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Review will assess hospitals' progress on improving their care of older people

Care of older patients in Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board hospitals will be the subject of a follow-up review after allegations of poor care were investigated last year

A report on the progress made to improve the care of frail older people in two hospitals run by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board in south Wales is to be conducted in July.

An independent review was carried out at the Princess of Wales and Neath Port Talbot hospitals between September 2013 and April 2014 in response to allegations of poor care for older people.

The review, Trusted to Care, of which dementia expert and nurse June Andrews was co-author, found nurses at the Princess of Wales Hospital did not know how to manage continence, nutrition and delirium in older patients.

The report recommended that a follow-up review be carried out after 12 months to examine progress made since the publication of Trusted to Care. A report on the findings is expected to be presented to Welsh health minister Mark Drakeford in September.

Since the first review, the board has drawn up 12 care standards. They include: ‘my care will take into account any sight or hearing loss’, ‘my skin will be well looked after and not damaged’, and ‘I will have the right medicine at the right time’.