NFR today calls on the government to launch a major Christmas TV ad campaign warning against the grave and widespread dangers of patient malnutrition and starvation on NHS wards, and insists that the money to pay for it be diverted from the annual drink driving TV ad campaign.

NFR research reveals that while the number of people killed in UK road accidents fell by 7% from 3,172 in 2006 to 2,946 in 2007, the number of patients starving on NHS wards more than doubled.

Not only did the number of NHS malnutrition incidents rise from 15, 473 in 2005 to 29,138 in 2007 but overall, according to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), almost 70,000 ‘patient incidents’ relating to malnutrition and starvation were reported.

In typical Soviet-speak the NPSA defines such an incident as ‘any unintended or unexpected incident which could have or did lead to harm for one or more patient receiving NHS care.

NFR concludes that in these difficult economic times it is vital that money is spent on the public safety campaigns that will deliver the greatest value for money.  In comparison to road safety the NHS is a disaster.  On basic public health and safety grounds, people must be made aware of the facts.  Drink driving is bad but the NHS is 10 times worse.