British nurses are criticized for several alleged cases of mistreatment of more than a dozen older hospital patients in a report released Thursday. The report by the Patients Association, a health watchdog organization, mentions 16 incidents of people said to be left lying in their own feces and urine, having call bells taken away and being left without food, The Times of London reported online. The association urged the British government and the regulating Care Quality Commission to instigate an urgent review of the standards of basic care in the hospital, plus tougher inspections and regulations. The Patients Association said one hospital had threatened legal action if the report is published but said there was a striking similarity between many of the cases. One former nurse said her experience as a patient was scary.

DENTAL patients are struggling to access NHS services amid "unacceptable" variations in care and rising complaints, a report claims today. A survey of primary care trusts (PCTs) for the Patients Association found widespread problems following the introduction of a new dental contract in 2006.

PLANS to award thousands of staff at three hospitals a pounds 100 bonus as their share in a pounds 5m surplus were denounced yesterday as "disgraceful".

By JENNY HOPE THOUSANDS of elderly nursing home residents suffer from chronic pain yet never see a doctor about it, it was revealed yesterday. Three- quarters of those questioned in a study said they have been living in pain for more than a year.

By Mark Hookham Labour ministers were last night accused of failing to deliver a flagship health pledge in Ulster, after new figures revealed there are 231 mixed sex wards in the province's hospitals. Tony Blair's government vowed to scrap mixed sex wards when it swept to power in 1997.