Letter: Caring response

I trained at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh during the 1960s, when these so-called "new" measures were regarded as good nursing care; then, if a patient developed a pressure sore, this was regarded as a failure of nursing practice and was the talk of the hospital.

During the subsequent decades, practice changed, in some cases, to the detriment of patient care, resulting in the high incidence of patients developing pressure sores, and as a consequence, these are often now regarded as unremarkable.

It is encouraging to see good practices being re-introduced to the benefit of patients.

Irene H Callaghan

Brechin

Angus

I READ the article, "Hospital Trials open the way to end scourge of bed-sore deaths" (7 February) with a mixture of disbelief and horror.

As a student nurse in the 1970s pressure area care and the prevention of bed-sores was an important part of patient care. It is extremely sad that, despite all the changes and supposed improvements to nurse training over the past few decades, so many people have died for want of basic care.

Joan Grant

Ferry Gait Walk, Edinburgh