You try doing our job for one day..most of you wouldn't make it past breakfast.
My uniform is washed after each and every shift in a boil cycle, I change to travel to and from work.
I cannot find a hand cream good enough to counteract the effects of constant hand washing.
I'm not moaning I'm just stating fact.
The vast majority of foreign nurses who you praise so highly are not permitted to do technical procedures due to differences in training, so who picks up the slack? Oh yes me! That's why I don't have time to chat away to my patients all day long, I'm too busy doing the work of 2 or 3.
I worked with a doctor recently who boasted his tie had not been washed in 10 years. Lovely.
Those of you who have had bad experiences need to complain, my ward manager would NEVER permit this type of behaviour.
And by the way, next time you're enquiring about your relative in hospital try being polite instead of defensive and rude, we're not all out to get you!

Catherine, Scotland,

Further to my previous comments; yes I am ashamed of nurses who do not behave well and bring the profession into disrepute and being well educated I am perfectly able to recognise that Lord Mancroft's statements weren't aimed at all nurses however it is the other 150 plus replies slating every nurse in the country that upset me!

Kate, Notts,

Nursing is a depressing, dirty, miserable profession. Most Nurses wish they could get out of it many times. Nurses don't get the zing of being called 'Dr', they are there at the sharp end. Some nurses are less than useless - there's always rotten apples in every basket - but even for the good nurses (and I have a very good reputation as a caring, capable nurse) it is a profession which while worthwhile, of course, is also tiring, saddening and mind-numbingly boring sometimes. There are good times and it is a priviledge to be with someone at their lowest point and help them, but the effect on the nurse who is with people at their lowest point, day in day out, is immense. If a nurse is slacking - the manager should sort it out, if the ward is dirty - the managers should get some cleaners and make sure the staff are doing their bit. But please do not underestimate the awfulness, misery and darkness of the Nursing Profession. Now where's the booze?

Jessica, swindon, uk

I am a nurse working within the NHS and I can assure you I care about every patient I look after! I work hard for 13 hours a day... but please remember some of us out there do care and your comments hurt!
Kate, Notts

See, I just don't get comments like this. Why do comments about a group of nurses who behaved badly with Lord Mancroft hurt you?

These endless "I'm a nurse and I'm wonderful, my mother was a nurse and she was wonderful, my rabbit's ex owner's sister in law was a nurse and she was wonderful" comments are pointless.

Since nobody is saying ALL nurses are dreadful, you've got nothing to protest against. Lord Mancroft applauded another group of nurses earlier in his speech, but none of you mention that. You don't take his positives to be a great compliment to the entire profession, yet you do with his negatives. Strange that.

A better response would be: "Those nurses are out of order, we are ashamed of them, we will strive to drive them out and raise standards."

Laura Roberts, London, UK

I am a nurse working within the NHS and I can assure you I care about every patient I look after! I work hard for 13 hours a day and rarely leave on time so I can be sure nothing of my patient's care has been overlooked. I have been hit, sworn at and abused by patients but I have to bite my tongue and carry on with dignity and professionalism.
I try to treat every patient I come across with the same care and respect I would hope my own family would receive. It makes me so sad to hear peoples feelings about nurses as I know I, along with many others don't fit these stereotypes.
I would challenge anyone who thinks my job is easy to try it for a few weeks, you will see families torn apart, mothers losing their children, husbands losing their wives, death and devastation and I try everyday to help people get through this anyway I can.
Not everyone is perfect and there will always be people who let the side down but please remember some of us out there do care and your comments hurt!

Kat, Notts,

Just another sign the British are losing any sense of free speach. Lord Mancroft must have hit a nerve for them to go balistic like this.

Which is more likely:
A) All nurses in Britian are paragons of virtue, spotlessly clean, and diligent at all times.
B) The nurses on the floor Lord Mancroft was on were substandard.

Lord Mancroft NEVER claimed that all nurses throughout Britian were all in this state of unprofessionalisim. The union's and government officials extrapolated what he actually said inorder to obfuscate the true situation and abdicate any responsibility to look into the matter.

Stan, Atlanta,

Free speech anyone? The reaction of the nursing union and Labout minister just confirms that no one is allowed to comment on any experience, however accurate. Their response is so over the top, it actually confirms that they have been caught out - the picture Mancroft protrays is spot on. Look at the thousands dying in British hospitals from infection - our cattle are looked after with more care and diligence - the bottom line is that there is absolutely no one in charge either on the ward or in government. I have spent months and months visiting relatives in London and Norfolk hospitals - my god, they are a disaster - horrible experiences I would sooner forget, not because of disease and illness, but because of filth, incompetance and a complete lack of 'care' - a much abused word in the context of the NHS. I resorted to taking in cleaning supplies and cleaning the months old blood and faeces from the floor myself. I complained to the hospital and got the usual pathetic rebuttle.

matt, Norfolk,

So let me get this straight.........An English Lord with a long history of mulp drug/alcohol abuse calls professional Nurses grubby. ..... Why would anyone in England pay any attention to such a statement from such a person? Former drug abusers are known to often cast dispersions towards all medical professionals.....its just a reaction to make their former condition seem more acceptable by demonizing the medical professionals. This guy is just a whinner rolling in self pity.
Ignore him! Anything he says is just a waste of time.

Alex, Albany, USA

Lord Mancroft's speech was clear and concise. The first hospital clearly liked to 'let nature take it's course.' The second one warranted little comment and sounded regimental. All we know about that one is that they got him better. Over zealous caring in the medical profession can be equally abhorrent. 20 years ago I would overhear relatives saying that the worst part of recovery in hospital was being woken up at 6 am by nurses cleaning and changing beds. You couldn't get any rest. Lord Mancroft doesn't sound as if he has gone into this with all guns blazing. He was merely stating facts from personal experience. The nurses accused of promiscuity are perhaps too tired to care about themselves let alone anyone else. They should have learnt about the consequences of their behaviour in training, i.e. sexually transmitted diseases. It would have been so much more alarming if we had heard reports of abuse and harm. The nurses did not sound cruel which would be much worse.

Jacqui, Atherton, Manchester

It is wrong to generalise regarding all nursing staff but this man does have a point. He isn't wrong! They're not all like that but a lot are. My experience with my son in a hospital in Scarborough wasn't too disimilar. The ward was filthy, the play room was filthy and dangerous. My son was terrified and messed about all day - we removed him at 11 pm when we were sure he was over the worst of it, no way was he staying in that pigsty. The nurses stood gossiping when there was filth in every corner. What was wrong with the way things used to be done? Bring back Matrons, get rid of outside cleaners (who don't clean "Human fluids") and get the nurses back where they should be - cleaning and caring - seems to me on a lot of wards there's more than enough time for both. Does anyone remember hospitals being germ-pits in those days? They weren't. To all those that take their jobs seriously you have my utmost respect - to those that don't - get out and find work more suited to you.

Paula, E Yorks,

The funny thing about cliches is that they've often got a grain of truth in them... or in this case, more than a few grains.

The fact that so many disparate people from all walks of life can recite the same litany of horror stories about NHS healthcare should be our best evidence that Lord Mancroft is speaking the truth.

That he's a peer in no way disqualifies him from expressing his opinion. There is no stench of classism from his comments, which were very specific and focused on the problem characters at hand.

I do not feel nurses in England are professional or well-trained. I'd rather fly home to the U.S. on my own dollar than be cared for in a public hospital in Britain. Thank goodness that Brits do have the choice to go private -- if only they can afford it.

Is this what you get in a socialist paradise? High taxes and low standards?

J Cline, London,

Wow...when I had surgery to replace a shoulder joint, the nurses in the hospital here could not have been nicer, or cleaner. No matter what time of the day or night I rang for them, they came as soon as they could (sometimes, especially at night when there were fewer on duty, it would take 10 minutes or so). They brought me my medications, helped me up to get the exercise I needed, let me sit up in a chair several times a day, changed the bed linens, etc. On the wall in front of my bed was a sign saying if either the doctors or the nurses failed to walk over to the sink, wash with soap, and put on fresh surgical gloves that I was to ask them to do so and if necessary report them to the head of the hospital. I was injured at work, so this surgery cost me nothing. This was at a Catholic run hospital (Mercy Medical Center) in Redding, CA. The nurses there were very professional; only once did I see one who was even the slightest bit grumpy. It's a great hospital with a great staff.

Janet Fuls, Cottonwood, CA USA

The way that nurses are treated as angels in this country is ridiculous. They are not saints, just people who are doing a job because they want the money. And of course many of them are of low character, just like many members of just about any other group of people. And anyone with decent values is liable to be appalled by the loose sexual behaviour and glorification of binge drinking common among many young women nowadays.

Oliver Chettle, Bedford,

I am a nurse, I love my job and I'm very proud of the department that I work in however this weekend I went out and behaved as I am apparently meant to behave and was therefore grubby, drunk and promiscuous and I loved every minute of it!!!! Thank u Lord Mancroft for making me realise what I've been missing for the last 10 years. I would also like to thank John from Cambridge for pointing out that as an English nurse I am therefore dirty and lazy so that is what I have decided to be this week as I'm exhausted following my weekend of hard partying and casual sex!!!
Making sweeping, harsh generalisations about a profession which already suffers from low morale is hugely unfair. Yes there are nurses who may well be guilty of some or all of the above but the majority are hardworking individuals who genuinely care about their patients and the hospitals where they work!! I'm sure there are many MP's, lawyers, drs etc in positions of responsibility who are not whiter than white!!!

Pookie, Reading, UK

That's what you get with socialized medicine. Substandard healthcare. It's no wonder foreigners are coming to America to see doctors. You can get treated right away instead of having to go through months of red tape to get a cancerous tumor removed from your lung. I visited the UK a while ago and got sick while I was there. I've seen chavs more polite than the nurses that treated me!

Ted, Philadelphia, United States

I am a junior doctor currently working in the NHS and I consider myself tremendously lucky after reading the above posts from your readers. Not only have the many nurses I have worked with in numerous trusts been hardworking, diligent and caring towards their patients but also I have never had the misfortune to work with some of the healthcare professionals who have commented above. I feel awfully for the people who have been inadequately treated by people who should know better.

Frankly not everyone is perfect and occasionally even on the best run wards mistakes are made and things are missed. On these occasions it is not only my job but my duty to raise these with the staff responsible and/or their superiors (as I would expect people to tell me). Those who standby and watch only to air their ditry laundry in public are not just denigrating the hard work of thousands of dedicated healthcare staff but are also guilty of neglecting the same patients they profess to care about.

Sukhdip Jhaj, Keighley,

I Agree 100%!!! I watched my father in-law die in St Margaret's hospital in Swindon Wiltshire. I served in Viet Nam and I saw cleaner US Army field hospitals that were cleaner! The nurses were even worse.

Bob Tanguay, Brandenburg, USA/KY

Even people with no class have the right to clean and hygienic care in hospital. Why concentrate on Lord Mancroft's status and disregard what he is saying about his poor hospital care. Surely he has the right to say his piece without some class conscious git trying to silence him, Nurses and hospitals should be striving for excellence so that all people benefit.

PL, Kingston, Ontario

The first rule of politics is 'The truth is irrelevant, shoot the messenger'.

Glenn, Baldwin, Wisconsin

Grubby, drunken and promiscuous?

Could we fix the "grubby" end of them?

eugene, heidelberg, germany

I think it's interesting that I just finished reading an article about the C. difficile problems in England and Wales, and now this? Hmmmm.

TommyG, Freeland, Pa

In the U.S.A. we too are looking at the lunacy of "Free Public Healthcare". It seems that whenever the Gov't takes over any project they end up destroying any resemblence of Normalcy. You need to protest to the Parlament and have them impliment a system that allows you to buy your OWN insurence. That way you can choose your own doctor, hospital and protest without facing this type of critisism.
I pray that we here in the U.S. NEVER get free health care. I have seen what goes on at our county hospital and would never want to go through that, and it too is Gov't owned and operated.

Dutchman, Seguin, Texas

Having read most of the comments two points become evident:
1. ENVY. Lord Mancroft is a peer and so must not comment on his PERSONAL Experience (supported by many respondents), Therefore it is proper to denigrate him!
2. The evidence is that many patients have reasonable complaints.
3. These complaints stem from a lack of hygiene discipline!

The question is therefore who is responsible. The Minister, Ann Keen, is obviously ultimately responsible and should get off her posterior and do something about the problem. The various levels of very highly paid management in the NHS should take their share of the blame for these problems. The problem is that those in management from the Minister down are just plain incompetent!

The RCN, which is responsible for the governance of the profession, should act to prevent behaviour that is disgraceful in a professional respect. The Unions should also act to ensure that this type of behaviour does not occur.

Also lets have a referendum

M. Cawdery, Portadown, UK

and this from a politician

Phl Barnes, Preston, england

So let me get this right. Why was Lord Mancroft in hospital again?

Stones and glass houses come to mind.

JohnO, Barnsley, England

It's not just the patients who are at risk.

I used to work with the NHS and Time without number I had to rescue children and younger members of the public from the most dangerous of situations...

DLW, Dubai, UAE

I live with nurses, most of them have to do 12 hours shift or even more .I bet they are tired at the end of the day but still it is not justified to mistreat patients.

shanthi, canterbury, uk

Lord Mancroft should know when to talk and when to keep his mouth shut. My wife is a nurse, and if he wants to know how hard they work he can spend a week with her.
As far as their behaviour away from work, if it's not illegal then it's nothing to do with anybody else. He can't really base his opinions of a whole profession on what a few nurses may have said, can he?
Should we then believe that all peers are like Lord Mancroft? Opinionated former junkie windbags with a delight in hearing the sound of their own voice, but with little to contribute in the way of common sense?

shorehamview, Sheffield,

Once we stop convincing people who work in public services such as healthcare, education, etc that they belong to an inferior category of the establishment, we could demand that they meet the high standards and qualifications we expect from them and also pay them accordingly.

Ray, Hombeek, Belgium

I feel the comments are most hurtful to people like myself. I worked in the NHS from 1957-1981. I worked long hours and did all kind of jobs, from the bedpan round to help out in complicated surgical operations, all with no time table, we went on duty and until the jobs was done you stayed there. We were paid very little money, but the majority of us we felt gratified just to help people.We had a Matron who was resposible for the running of the wards, she did daily inspections she knew all "her" nurses by name. We lived in the Nurses Home (NO MEN ALLOWED). our rooms were inspected for cleanliness often by the Home Matron and we had to be in by 11pm. We went into nursing as young women at 18 and we learn to become women by the time we qualify. If the Matron was returned to the hospitals the NHS will benefit a lot and the patientes will be much better looked after. Analeah. RGN:RMN.

Analeah, London S.W., England

Grubby, drunken, lazy, promiscuous? How presumptious of our nurses to aspire to some of the fine qualities of our beloved aristocracy. Perhaps Mancroft should have been kinder and labelled these angels 'eccentric' and he would have come across as less intolerant and out-of-touch ( Now I'm being kind here! ).

John Craddock, Keynsham, England

Nurses have traditionally occupied the same kind of "never criticise" status as the Queen Mother, Thora Hird and Nelson Mandela. , and that mythical British quality of "Tolerance" Mancroft is simply and accurately holding a mirror up the the country. That nurses have descended to this kind of behaviour and attitude only reflects Britain. We should ALL be ashamed.

John, Kent,

Laura Roberts of London
I completely agree with you.
You expressed such a gifted analysis.
It is frightening how Lord Mancroft's actual words & sentiment have been so deliberately manipulated by Special Interest Groups

Steve, Glasgow,

Sadly ; I have to agree with a lot of what Mancroft says.
Oh sure , there are the dedicated , the moral & the chaste....but not so many . All you indignant Florence Nightingale defenders know it too......Over 40yrs ago in my experience ; if a group of frisky lads wanted some sport they would either invite the nurses to a 'Do' or sneak into the nurses home after the pub.....we know lads , dont we ??!!

Richard Maund, ORMSKIRK, LANCSHIRE

I have to say that after reading this article I was horrified by these allegations. As an SRN who practiced in the NHS for many years I would like to point out that I was never once found to have dirty hair or fingernails.

Jo Harris, Frederick, Maryland

I regularly attend my local hospital for a check up and have to say the nurses on duty are always extremely courteous and very hard working.

MalcomL, edinburgh,

I'm a male student nurse and everthing that his lordship says is true, but not all nurses are the same.
I can't make excusses for my fellow health professionals but you should never talk over a patient, its rude at the very least.

joe luscombe, Preston,

Excuse me - a peer of the realm - slumming it ? , what`s the world comming to ???

jim, Sidcup/Kent,

Having been treated at another hospital which wasn't one of the best, to say the least, the treatment my son is receiving in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is second to none and the staff are both kind and professional. I dare say the nurses who spoke to each other rather than to Mancroft saw him for what he obviously is. A waste of space!

sophie, london,

clearly he would have preferred Florence Nightingale, renowned for her tender loving care

Michael, Haifa, Israel

You should try getting sick in the Philippines. It's a real eye-opener. Honestly, I recommend it from personal experience. Because then you'll see what a vast difference exists between the primitive NHS and the state-of-the-art standards of care in the Philippines from Filipina nurses, who work tirelessly and will do anything in their power to help their patients, genuinely care and have a pleasant personality, are impeccably trained and observe perfect hygiene methods. By the way, the Filipina nurses in Manila also speak a much better level of English than the English nurses in England. One can only hope that more Filipina nurses come to the UK. They are worthy of the name "angels". What a difference! I feel my health is in much better hands in this supposedly "third-world" country. In truth, the real third world is the UK!

JB, Manila, Philippines

My dear wife was a theatre at a London teaching hospital (UCH) before we married , and worked as long as necssary to complete a list.She always cameoff duty looking immaculate with a white starched apron.
Three years ago, she felloff a ladder while cleaning a curtain pole and suffered a brain haemorrhage ,She was admitted to a so called foundatin hospital Frimley Park, where,surrounded by workmen in dirty clothes, nobody told me anything and seemed incapable of attending he most elementary needs.
What does that say about the NHS
Iah glad that I now live in the US

keith smith, Windsor, CA 95492

Delighted that a patient, peer of the realm or not, is irrelevant, has the courage to honestly state what so mant of us have experienced. Nurses are not uniformly professional or dedicated as some commentators claim. Some maybe, like all walks of life, but not as a matter of course. Any organisation relies on leadreship, which it is clearly lacking in parts of the NHS. Why doesCameron leap lemming like to the 'popular' defence rather than establishing the facts. Does the slipshod level of nursisng have any connection ot the loss of the ward sister?

Martyn, London,

He found them unprofessional - but let's face it they have not quite had his priviledges in life and I would like to see him perform their job - year in and year out - and see how he fairs.

susan, london,

So nurses are human - let the debate begin! When I was younger I liked dating nurses since the nature of their profession made them very comfortable with bodily functions. Plus there was the added attraction of women in uniforms! Could never see myself dating a police woman, although I am married to a flight attendant.

Arnold Ward, Weybridge, Surrey, UK

How dare he tell the truth.

john smith, glasgow, Scotland

Did I read somewhere that this chap belongs to the Pratt's Club? Says it all, really.

Al, Weybridge, UQ

For god's sake stop treating the NHS as a sacred cow. Nurses aren't plaster saints and working in the state sector doesn't encourage tireless dedication.

Most of us go to hospitals and can see what is happening. There may be some dedicated staff - but as a proportion of the total they seem to be in decline.

Margaret, Berkhamsted,

This is the same Bath hospital where, just a few months ago, nursing staff made headlines after telling an elderly lady patient to soil her own bed because they were "too busy" to help her.

Lord Mancroft’s comments are long overdue, and obviously quite accurate.

John Ball, Bristol, UK

It was not a sweeping comment. It was a very specific comment, about the nurses treating the patient, and the ward he was treated in. If the ward was filthy, why not say so? If the nurses ignored him, talked over him, and didn't have the decency and reticence to keep their chit-chat about sex and drink to themselves, they deserve to be told off.

Simon, Richmond, Surrey

I am a young female nurse from Glasgow and i am disgusted that someone has made such a sweeping comment. That was one experience. As of yet i have never found nurses to be dirty or unproffesional all the nurses that i have worked with are very dedicated and proud to be a nurse. Maybe the attention should be put on the problems with staffing and budgeting of the NHS rather than on the people that are overworked, understaffed and still a credit the the health service!!

Heather Wilson, Glasgow,

The problem is bigger than one would think.
There are good nurses and in my stays I have spoken to them, as you would when you are getting good and professional treatment.
But to a person they all wanted to be somewhere else, because of what they were surrounded by.
Once again its the good ol state lowest common denominator.
Too many passengers and not rewarding of the better people.
The NHS cannot continue as it is.

John, N Yorks,

So how long is it before this government makes it ilegal for nurses to drink or have sex !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! unless it;s with an MPof course

Chris Houghton, Wigan,

As a second year student paediatric nurse i am appalled by the harsh derogatory comments made towards nurses. From my experience working on wards, the nurses i have come across have been extremely hardworking and dedicated to giving the best possible care with increasingly limited resources and funds. Each one of them has gone out of their way to make things as comfortable as possible for patients and family, who have gone on to praise them for the standard of care given!!They are doing all this as well as taking the time to teach myself and other students correct and safe practice, and they are doing this with good grace and humour,despite falling morale due to the constant slating nurses recieve. Please think twice about the comments you make.Its extremely unfair and demoralising to the nurses who do a sterling job, if you tarnish them with the same brush as the ones who have complete disregard for the people in their care.

Stephanie, London,

Lord Mancroft should be congratulated for having the honesty to tell it as it is and I'm disappointed in Mr Cameron for suggesting otherwise.

Don't hold up the NHS and all its staff as some sort of sacred cow - its up to them to show a little more professionalism rather than boasting about how drunk they were the night before or which new partner they hope to sleep with next!

God help us all for the sorry state of the NHS today.

Mike, Harrow,

Have a look at the fitness to practise sections on the website of the Nursing & Midwifery Council. As nurses obviously want to be thought of as a profession, perhaps a mass email and telephone assault on the Council will persuade it that it needs to get its act in order and do its regulatory job properly.

Clive, Chichester, UK

I think the nurses in the UK really deserve these comments. They are not only dirty and lazy, they are rude and worthless. Who actually wants to pay these sloppy beings. I think the foreign nurses are more caring and respectful and carry themselves with dignity.

John, Cambridge, UK

I thank Lord Mancroft for starting this discussion which might prompt a solution.

When I was admitted to hospital with a recent illness, nurses chattered and giggled at night when I was trying to sleep. They turned their heads away and pretended not to notice when I was too weak to walk without holding onto something. The second I recovered they asked me if there was anything I needed.

When I was a junior doctor, I witnessed patients recovering from successful major operations die from pneumonia after begging the nurses for a blanket night after night because they were too cold. I have seen nurses having coffee while reading "heat" magazine, whilst their patients have spent the last hour lying on a wet bed, surrounded by pools of urine and faeces, as they needed help walking to the loo.

I have seen far more distressing scenarios as a recent junior doctor. However, there wasn't much I could do, as the nurses would make my life hell if I complained. I have since left the NHS.

Anna, London,

What's really coming across here is that we're now living in a country where to express dissatisfaction or to be appalled at standards in public life is seen to be wrong.

i am a single mother. i pay 40% tax. i don't even claim child benefit because i can't be bothered to fill out the forms. My child is in a state school.. She now sprinkles her conversation with the f word, which she's picked up at school. Yet when i complain to the teacher, she doesn't want to know and i can't approach the children who bully my child because then i'd be in hot water myself.

What has happened to this country? What happened to discipline? What happened to respect for hard work and effort? Most of the other mothers in my child's class think i'm a mug because i don't get the government to pay my rent or give me benefits.

i am heartily sick of the state we're in and i just don't know what to do about it because if i dare to complain, e.g. at school, re: standards, i am blanked by the teaching staff

jennifer coles, London,

As a hard working conscientious nurse iam appalled at the statement made by Lord Mancroft. Nurses are called upon to act in the patients best interests and provide evidence based care with expertise and without prejudice. Which the majority of us do at all times of the day and night within the workplace and out in society when needed. However we are frequently abused, criticised and attacked in our workplace, often due to problems beyond our control and yet we choose to continue in the provision of care. Nurses are only human and not celestial beings and we may have our faults however we certainly are not as the Lord states all 'grubby, drunk and promiscuous' but hard working dedicated professionals working in difficult and uncertain circumstances.

Marnie Coombe, Eastbourne, England

I am a deputy sister myself & I agree totally with the lord. It does happen and is very common. We just have to keep our mouth shut as sisters & matron look at their benefits only. Sisters are busy going round gossipping only. They don't work. They have learnt the term delegation.They don't even teach on wards.

Sheila , leicester,

I am a hardworking and professional nurse, I take pride in my work and have the utmost respect for all the patients I care for. It is totally unacceptable that these generalised comments be made like this

Rachel Bailey, Southampton, UK

T C Jones of London who thinks that we nurses all believe we are mini doctors and the most basic of nursing tasks is beneath us. Believe me most of us would like to get back to basics in nursing however we cannot as nurisng is now becoming completely task orientated and if it wasn't for us nurses most of the work wouldn't get done on the wards and patients would be left to their own devices!

R B, Southampton, UK

I had my first experience in hospital recently. I can tell you, it is awful. Rudeness and callousness is common and endemic, right the way from the sister down to the health assistants. This is not to even comment on the ridiculous oversights that stem from incompetencies. Could the government want the people to be fed up and guide the general sentiment toward better healthcare by offering up private healthcare or a hybrid form. Like Amy said, "Going private, never looked better".

JP, Harrow,

Jessica of Swindon - your obvious lack of respect for patients in your care confirms the experience of the majority posting comments here, I hope I'm never unfortunate enough to find myself in your ward.

s cordon, Leics., UK

Having recently taken my mother to an NHS hospital.I was horrified as she was greeted by a dirty looking nurse who was eating as she spoke and had food particles around her mouth.
The trouble with britain today is that nobody is allowed to comment on anything without being hounded by some vested interest.
Lord Mancroft was making an observation which is one many of us share.
Let's face it Britain's NHS hospitals are plagued with the likes of MRSA.

James, London, U.K

I have has similar experiences with cleanliness at St.Thomas' - a teaching hospital- it's all surface- contract cleaners not being supervised properly- women doctors so swaddled in muslim clothing you feel quite alienated as a patient- not trust inspiring at all-
what about the silent majority who need having their needs met when ill??

A.O'Dwyer, London,

All is not well in the land of nursing.
It takes something to get them out of the 'nurses station' nowadays.
Thank goodness for doctors, who will always make the big decisions.

John, N Yorks,

I'm a junior doctor in the NHS, and totally understand what Lord Mancroft says. I must admit, however, that the some of the best times I've had was out clubbing with the nurses in my early years!!

TP, Hitchin, Herts

Like all generalisations, these remarks will be unfair - sometimes grossly unfair - to an enormous number of people (in this case, nurses) to whom they do not apply.

Unfortunately, we are all aware that standards in this country have fallen dramatically over the last few decades in most fields, including the NHS. In the days when 'elitism' was an aspiration, not a swearword, and strict matrons ruled with a rod of iron, it would have been true to say that few nurses survived for long if they failed to abide by strict rules of cleanliness & behaviour; now this is obviously not the case.

Then, it was swift remedial action; now, it is words of all kinds : sweeping assurances, promises, smug platitudes, denials, reams of doctored statistics in an 'Emperor's New Clothes' nightmare where we can all see the reality, but are constrained to pretend otherwise.

Under such circumstances, patients will inevitably resort to generalisations which will hurt the innocent with the guilty.

L Greene, London, England

Reading the comments here, it would appear that the balance must weigh heavily in favour of Mancroft'.
It seems obvious that Government is entirely to blame & must get out.
By interfering (NHS) in an area in which they have zero competence, they must rely on feedback - form-filling - to assess the value of their supposed "investment".
In the process, they have handed a blank cheque to the Trade Union bullies, who relish the game and the money they filch from their members.
And it is all about MONEY - taxpayers' money.
When the Eastern Health Board was set up in Ireland, doctors' income doubled. Most of the extra workload was writing absentee notes for workers suffering from hangovers from weekend binge drinking.
If we were made to pay for our health care, the costs would come tumbling down, as the "something-for-nothing" farce ends.
Let those with the skills; experience and care for healing patients back in & see the standards rise again.
And It is exactly the same in Education.

MR. MYLES STANISTREET, NERAC, FRANCE

I agree wholeheartedly with the majority of comments on here - the man can only speak from experience. He could have given this information to the hospital in question privately but if it was relevant to the debate in the commons then fine.

Sally R - London - your comments around cleaning bedframes, tables etc. I work in a hospital and can assure you we still do this - the irrational debate around matrons is a product of the daily mail and friends designed to get people worked up about the 'good old days' and to sell newspapers. If the hospital you choose is not up to scratch - express your choice and go to another hospital nearby.

Roba, Leeds,

Shouldn't the RCN be concerned about why someone (and not only one by the sound of it) has this impression? Instead we get this imbecile, knee-jerk, defensive reaction. So its probably true then.

Once upon a time, there was freedom of speech ...

Steve, Cambridge,

Here we go again,exercise free speech, tell the truth an be vilified. Not for me, I think all nurses are angels, all doctors are wonderful, all policeman are kind, all soldiers are courageous and politicians are saints!

William , Essex,

My father had a really terrible time at a hospital in Leicester: the ward was not clean and the nurses spent their time on duty at the 'nursing station' instead of caring for patients. The impression given was that nurses now regard themselves as superior and day to day care tasks are far too menial for them.
We did complain to the hospital but only received a vaguely worded letter using phrases such as 'action plan' . It is not good enough.

Brian Hillier, Leicester, England

At least Lord Mancroft could understand what the nurses were talking about as they reminisced about the night before; my experiences in my local hospital suggest that many of the nurses, but by no means the majority, can barely speak English.

Quapstealer, London, UK

The Union's comments are usually unhelpful - as they are here. Their instance on defending the weak is too often misplaced.

The resistance to acknowledging outstanding work because it makes the inadequate feel, uh, inadequate has ruined nursing, policing and teaching.

(Emma of Canterbury. Irish Catholic country girdls ? Really? (Cue Father Jack flashbacks)

Tony Mouse, Bath,

Well, I think these comments show clearly: (1) the general public react more intelligently than politicians; (2) the guy's comments *can* be generalised based on the evidence presented here; (3) it is the BBC reporting that implied that his comments applied generally.

So well done public, shame on politicians and reporters (but thanks to the BBC for allowing us to see the public's response!).

On a personal note, in my many visits to Whipps Cross Hospital and Peterborough District Hospital I've found the nursing were generally impressive and luckily have never come across nurses like those described. But I see no reason to doubt the accuracy of this comments.

Mike Taylor, Woodford, England

As all newspaper editors and reporters know, people read what they want to read in a story, not the what it actually says. The criticism of Lord Mancroft is absurd and so is Cameron's condemnation of him. He was not generalising, but was quite specific apart from not naming the hospital (the media did). It was a personal experience, not third-party gossip. He was contributing to an important and relevant debate in parliament. As for those officials say he should have complained through the "correct channels", surely parliament fits the bill precisely. Of course there are wonderful nurses as well and Mancroft is well aware of that. That's not the point. The issue is that the British public have been cowed into believing that not complaining and exposing the truth about anything is now PC. The Blair/Brown regime has/is destroying a wonderful and just country I grew up in 50 years ago. God help you, because by his pathetic reaction to this little tiff, Cameron has shown he can't.

E.Cowham, Melbourne, Australia

If this report is accurate it tells us far more about David Cameron than it does about Lord Mancroft, who was only commenting about THE NURSES WHO LOOKED AFTER HIM, not about all nurses. Indeed, he says that his life was saved by being transferred to another hospital, where standards, including presumably nursing standards, were a lot higher.

Cameron proves himself time and again to be a complete opportunist who jumps on any bandwagon and tries to score points, even at the expense of a senior member of his own party.

It's time the tories got themselves a new, more genuine, honest and sincere leader. Now that chap George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, looks the part, and can certainly out-debate Brown and Darling anytime .........

Ed Dirben, London, UK

Seems that the not so silent majority of patients agree with the Tory Lord.

As a 24/7 family carer who has to put up with the idiocy of many nurses I have no sympathy with their idea of 'overwork'.

There are also some who still try to give a service to their patients.

How about an anonymous survey of 'Health Service users'? A large enough sample so that those who were critical couldn't be victimised and/or identified.

Real people who are not members of the House of Lords are too afraid to complain. These 'caring nurses' have the power of life and death over us.

One more point has been raised, training. Lack of training is blamed for the inability to wash hands or realise that sexual and drunken exploits are inapropriate matters for discussion in front of patients. Is this not a matter of selection rather than training? Would not the majority prefer a nurse with clean hands to one with 6 GCSEs?

God help me and those I care for if I am identifed.

JDS, Cardiff, Wales/UK

At last, the truth.

It is a pity that other politicians will not tell it the way it is instead of hiding the facts to win votes.

David Scott, Birmingham, England

The country is slowly reverting to barbarism. The women go first, for some reason, sporting tattoos and multiple piercings like primitve savages. Before too long the drink and party culture reaches the lower middle classes at work and doctors will follow on not far behind.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

How can it be sexist? I met a toung nurse on a train who told me whilst she was not homophobic she was disgusted with the behaviour of male nurses who discussed matters normal people would find revolting with abandon. So i am surprised these allegations are being made against women who are generally more reticent. But if he heard it they must say it. Some people want to get real.

Mcdermott, Manchester,

I'D ALSO ADD NOT TOO FAR FROM THE TRUTH.

After having to spend 6hrs waiting in A and E with a family member. I was horrified a bus station seemed cleaner and I'm not joking either. Then I was never too sure who was a Dr as not a white coat seen anywhere. Then there was the nurses some had green uniforms where I have to say where very grubby and the others where as if they had come to work after a visit to the park they had jeans and little short T.shirts on. I too heard all the antics they had got up to and the antics they where about to get up to also whether they where beginning to look old. I also witnessed one Dr go to wash his hands in two places and there was no soap so he just used a bit of water and that was it. It also had a horrible smell, none of the dirty linen was in the trolley they use. It's not too far in the past where I can remember going into hospitals and there was THAT SMELL hospitals used to have. I'd do anything to have that smell back again.

Grace, liverpool, England

These facts witnessed first hand by Lord Mancroft are a sorry indictment of low standards in our hospitals throughout the land.
I claim over 360 hours in one such hospital, witnessed the same as Lord Mancroft and have listened to similar low standards from others from different hospitals.
Although when in intensive care you could not have better care, the normal wards are abysmal in many ways.
I suppose every one who could improve things in our hospitals will continue to bury their heads in the sand and call lord Manfield all sorts of names.
HE IS SPOT ON.

Robert Parker, Royal Leamington Spa, English

I do apologise. Patience is a virtue!

John Haydn Perks, westcliff on sea., Essex - England

I was a SRN in the 1960's & the standard of nursing was far superior of that of today. Wards were cleaner, & there was more respect all around from the junior nurses up to the Matron.
I have to agree with the comments made by Lord Mancroft, as I myself have experienced a similar situation.All the conversation between the nurses seems to be about their nights out "on the pull" as they call it today, & how much alcohol they can consume.
Years ago when I had finished my shift I was too tired to even think about going into a pub on my day off. Shopping really was my forte, & money better spent.
Lord Mancroft was only speaking from his own experience, surely you can't knock him for that.
MM Leese SRN

MM Leese, Bristol, Somerset.

Lord Mancroft wes merely saying what was his personal experience, and if he heard the conversations across his bed , then that could not be denied, could it?
In fact, you would have to have a pretty poor command of the English language not to have noticed that he did indeed say that he was not generalizing..
However, given the content of the Hospital soaps and the goings on amongst the staff, then you would have to come to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe...he could be right!!

But I couldn't possibly comment........

Peter S.Lewis, Bidford-on-Avon, UK

The interesting thing is the way politicians, anxious to curry favour with a naive public, have accused him of insulting all nurses.

From the extracts quoted he is clearly talking from his own personal experience - nowhere does he say that all nurses behave this way.

Nurses have become sacred cows, above criticism. In reality some are excellent, some mediocre and others downright bad. Not all have vocations and it is naive to expect otherwise - some, mainly girls, drift into the job because it is a traditional role for women and they can't think of anything better to do. Look at the minimal qualifications needed for certain grades of nurse and you will get an idea of the quality of some nurses.

For the record: my dying father at a hospital in the North East was left to urinate in his own bed because a nurse would not come to assist him. Every time I visited, half a dozen nurses where chatting at the central work station. Dad told me that they often reeked of booze.

mike, chestefield,

Living in Amsterdaam the Netherlands and subsequently being used to very quick ,efficient and always respectful courteous treatment by the nurses and staff; it has for some time left me in complete disbelief when following programms like Casualty and Holby city.Realising they are dramas and taking a degreeof poetic license into consideration if these programs in any way reflect patient treatment then God help us.The private lives reguarly in the working shift taking president over there work, churlishness. rudeness , thes images must have found been found somewhere!

Ranger, Amsterdsam, Netherlands

Hospital acquired infections are obviously the result of the NHS employing the wrong type of scrubbers.

David Elliott, Brighton, UK

After one of our local hospitals was declared the dirtiest in the UK (and having seen the wards strewn with rubbish I can vouch for that) I am seriously considering emigration to a country where I can at least be assured of safe treatment should I require hospitalisation.

Having recently had three days and nights of hell in a ward which resembled a Kabul bazaar and having heard from many friends of similar experiences and worse, I just hope that Lord Mancroft has pricked the bubble of NHS complacency which is literally killing patients.

John, Guildford,

Surely nurses (single ones anyway) have always had a reputation for promiscuity. In part this stems from the fact that they know more than most people about how the body works. They also see death first hand and maybe have more of a sense of how tenuous and fragile life really is. Out of that comes a desire to take what pleasure can be gained today with the certain knowledge that the future leads to disability, illness and ultimately death.

Adrian Gilbert, Tonbridge,

During her recuperation from an appendix operation, my daughter was put in a wheelchair at lunchtime and pushed round a supermarket for two hours, while two nurses did did their shopping!! Not all nurses or their managers are dedicated angels.

Don. Merseyside

D Harrison, Wirral,

Rightio fellas, lets bag these grubby nurses and their proletariat mates but shhhhh, don't mention Tesco, I've got shares in them.

Leon, kirkliston, scotland

Thereby lies the problem, tell the truth and you are reprimanded, modern politics !

William, Southampton, UK

My mother was spent 3 weeks in hospital a few years ago suffering from a nervious breakdown and broken leg, her room was filthy with dirty cotton wool and old bandage under the bed, I reported it to a nurse it was still there the next day.
On one occasion she requested help to go to the toilet she was still waiting 30 minutes later when I remined the nurse in question the nurse said they where busy and my mother would have to wait.
On another occasion I visited only to find my mother lying naked on a bed in full view of all and sundry whilst four nurses stood around the nursing station discussing a TV programe.
The PC brigade prevent the truth from being told, the patient is in a very vunerable possision and dare not complain.
Its nice to hear the truth for a change Mr Cameron!

Frank, Stockton on Tees,

well said that man.

Stephen Jones, Kualar Lumpur, Malaysia

my wife shared a house with three trainee nurses for a year before we were married (nearly 20 years ago).

they weren't drunk nor promiscuous, all three were quite religious, but the shared kitchen was always very unclean and the supposedly washed crockery and cutlery she would have to clean properly before using herself as it was so dirty. As a former university student myself who had shared a house with 3 other guys I was amazed at how bad this was, particularly for those working in the health industry.

So I'm not surprised the English hospitals are so dirty.

When I worked one summer in a kitchen in the US we had training in hygiene before we started and we knew how to sterilise everything and never thought to do otherwise. But then cleanliness and hygiene is part of the culture in the US in a way it isn't here (don't get me started on restaurants/pubs/hotels...!)

Cleanlinessisnextto...., London, England

I know that my mother is not "grubby... drunken and promiscuous", but I'd be willing to bet that the nurse who stole her watch during the first week in her new post at an NHS hospital was.

A.M., Newcastle,

Anyone who has had the misfortune to have to visit a UK hospital, either as an inmate or as a visitor, will know that Lord Mancroft's comments are of course a gross generalisation, but largely true. Although the standard of medical care is usually very high, the standard of nursing care really causes concern. The reason is that nursing is now a graduate profession and nurses think they are mini doctors. The most basic nursing duties are now beneath them.

C Jones, London, UK

His comments are correct.

Will Sadler, King's Lynn, UK

The NHS is not perfect. It makes mistakes. And it probably made one here.

Clearly it was unable to remove the festering appendage from the unfortunate abcess.

Alan Thomas, Belfast, NI

Alan T Saunders, Belfast, N. Ireland

I don't know why nurses should be beyond criticism, but my wife's experience is exactly the same as Lord Mancroft's. Of course not all nurses are bad, but a majority, or at least a significant minority fit exactly Lord Mancroft's description.

And it goes beyond just the lazy and the dirty, because their actions (or lack of action) has two hugely negative effects; firstly they rob vulnerable patients of their dignity. I saw an old lady with a full catheter bag on display to a whole ward of patients and visitors. On another occasion a car accident victim, who was wearing a head/neck brace had not had her hair washed for a week and was wearing a gown that was mostly untied at the rear meaning that the poor lady's knickers were on display when she went to the bathroom.

The second huge negative is the climate of fear these nurse generate. Fear that stops people asking for simple help, or reminding a nurse that a drug dose has been forgotten.

Give us back dignity and security.

John, Bourne, UK

God forbid anyone should actually tell it like it is. And since when have we become shocked and appalled and outraged at every little thing? We used to be able to deal with things withuot looking for someone to sue.

Jack, Leeds,

Right then, if this is the way the public see me as a Nurse, perhaps it is about time I acted like it! I have put many years hard work into the NHS only to see the whole service fall apart through management over which I have no control. Its about time we all threw in the towel and just quit! Why should good Nurses be lambasted because of a few rough ones? Where do we go to find these caring "angels" if society is breeding a generation of louts? And again that is too m,uch of a generalisation- there are still some superb caring individuals out there.

Ross, Coventry,

Recently, for the first time in decades, as a result of the ageing process, I've found myself in hospital quite a bit. I totally agree with the remarks about the standard of nurses.Forty years ago they were clean and tidy in appearance,even to the point of being spotless.Yes it does matter; because if they can't look after their own appearance how can they look after a ward full of patients.Morale of the patient is so important and a smart clean nurse boosts the morale of all their patients.

Mike, Dunstable, England

"“The entire country holds nurses in the highest regard.” Gail Adams, Unison head of nursing"

I am afraid that Ms Adams is sadly mistaken. Of course you can't generalise but my experience of nurses has been largely bad. For example being pushed practically naked through public areas, low standards of cleanliness on the wards and so on.

Some are no doubt very good but we mustn't rebuke some one for relaying his personal experiences.

It would be more mature of Ms Adams to listen to what her "customers" are saying and drive up standards than to defend the status quo. This is a good example of why Britain i sgoing down the pan - we all have to quietly accept low standards for the sake of being PC.

MW, Gloucester, UK

There are bad eggs in every basket. Pilots, Doctors, Nurses, Lawyers and even Judges. The trouble is that his comments amount to a massive sweeping generalisation which will be grossly unfair to the majority of nurses who do a fantastic job under difficult conditions. All they show is how out of touch Lord Mancroft is with the real world.

Barry Hedges, Glasgow, Scotland

My mum is a nurse and has been for 30 years. I can assure you she is a caring woman... Please ignore idiotic reports like this...
Adam Knight, Stafford, England

Here we go again. There's just no logic or sense in this kind of argument. How on earth does the your mother nullify Lord Mancroft's experience and argument?

Lord Mancroft cited his direct experience. Were you there Adam? Do you know he's lying then? No.

All you have is that your mother was a good nurse. Why can people like you not look at the facts and assess them properly, instead of reacting so illogically? He had a bad experience with nurses and cited it as an example of poor standards. Your mother apparently is a great nurse. Both can simulataneously be true.

So no don't negate or ignore Lord Mancroft's reports. They are only "idiotic" in the tiny minds of those who don't WANT them to be true.

Accept them, investigate them, deal with them.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

Peer tells the truth and is roundly criticised shock.

Wonder why we're so messed up as a country?

J.Wilkes, Gloucester,

Shame on you Mr Cameron, Lord Mancroft should be commended for speaking up for patients, not rebuked. Prominent people like yourself may get preferential care from the NHS, but the rest of us receive the care of the day. Mostly it’s excellent as you should expect but sometimes it’s poor and disrespectful towards patients. I know this having suffered the latter, if you try to rectify the wrongs by complaining the NHS goes into denial (I have the letters to prove) and self defence mode extremely quickly. It’s a perpetuated myth to say ALL nurses are angels, ask patients and doctors or consultants. Mr Cameron stand up and be counted, you can make a difference, by taking note and asking questions of the system not by accepting its failings, this just plays into Nu Labour’s hands. If government organisations i.e. NHS, Education, Policing etc, are allowed to fail just 5% of people that’s accounts to millions receiving less than acceptable service, with no voice or people like yourself willing to speak up for them. Well done Lord Mancroft, you could have not utilised your title and just shrugged your broad shoulders and walked away not willing to upset the system. We need more forthright talking people like yourself instead of these meekly minded politicians who think first of their perks rather than the people they serve.

Patricia, Sheffield,

This is one of the many examples of how the media dubiously mislead the public! English media is the real enemy within. I think it is high time Britain reviewed the role of the media in national development. I think the English media is replete with perverted minds. To me, it is not healthy to allow the media an almost unfettered freedom to manipulate information and public opinion.

Ezhi Opfu, London, UK

The fact is, there are good and bad in every profession and every walk of life. As a nurse myself I object strongly to this pompous peer making such sweeping generalisations. He should try working 3 twelve hour shifts in row, with patients who can be rude, aggressive and quite frankly, dangerous. Oh, but I bet he is far too busy getting off his face with crack cocaine to bother.

Maybe I am a little sensitive today, but some of the comments above brought tears to my eyes, such generalisations, what about the majority of nurses who are committed, caring, motivated and professional? It is akin to saying that all policemen beat their suspects for confessions. Ridiculous.

monkeychops, East Yorkshire, UK

I have to agree with him. I spent SEVEN hours in A&E as my body went haywire. I was terrified and out of my mind with pain, but other than a Doctor seeing me for 2 minutes after 2 hours of arriving (he did not examine me, he filled in a form), I remained a further 5 hours in the waiting area with nurses ignoring me. My partner tried to speak to them on about 20 different occasions, but they ignored him.

Finally, out of sheer desperation and worsening pain (I had not been given ANYTHING to alleviate the pain), and completely terrified that I was dying, I screamed and screamed.

At 2am I was shoved into a bed by a nurse without a single word. Exhausted, frustrated and still terrified, I lay my head down as I watched 2 nurses (slovenly, gossiping and arrogant) talking about another patient in a disparaging way. One pointed me out to the other, her finger to the side of her head in circles, crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue, and they giggled.

He's right, and right to say it.

MN, London, UK

What would John and James know about NHS nursing today? They live abroad
I have had no problem with NHS nurses, in my experience they have conducted themselves professionally and hygenically

Johan, York,

Everyone will have a different experience in hospital, some are good and some bad.
My father spent two weeks in hospital and gave exactly the same account as Lord Mancroft. This is not a reflection on nurses, but a reflection on the standards of the average Briton. It also goes some way to explain the reasons why MSRA is so prevalent in hospitals today.
It really is about time that someone spoke up about the standards we all see in our national health service today. Any senior politician would be given special treatment if they were to go into hospital, Lord Mancroft has been fortunate enough to see the health service that the general public experiences.

peterj, aberdeen, uk

As my parents are getting older, they have required hospital treatment for the first time. My mother was a nurse, so she has had plenty of opportunity to compare her ward duties with what she saw around her.
Some examples from her training:
She had to wash bedframes and tables and the bedside chair before a new patient could take up a bed. Nurses even washed the walls of wards to train them in the standards of hygiene expected. Sleeves were rolled to above the elbow and a clean, detachable (washable) cuff placed over the fold to prevent accidents and infection. The elderly were fed and cleaned. Matron ruled with a rod of iron through a series of well-trained subordinates. Patients were called by their title and surname. Nurses were forbidden to speak to each other by their first names while on the ward, it was Nurse or Sister. Professionalism was everything.
I don't think Lord Mancroft should be pilloried for speaking his truth, it is the experience of very many in the NHS.

Sally R., London, UK

8000 deaths a year from hospital acquired infections in UK (that's just C.Diff and MRSA). Is there just a slight possibility that the personal hygiene standards of nurses could be a contributory factor?

Anyone who has had the misfortune to visit a hospital and has an awareness of hygiene standards necessary in such an environment can tell similar stories. Of course those with low personal hygeine standards themselves will be oblivious to the problem and hence defensive of the grubby nurses.

Some credit is due to Peter Carter, of the RCN who, said: “Where poor nursing exists, it should always be challenged through the proper channels." which could be regarded as a tacit acknowledgment that there may be some basis for for Lord Mancroft's assertion.

Compare those 8000 deaths with 3000 deaths a year on the roads where a driver can be prosecuted for "dangerous driving" for eating a banana. A grubby nurse is just as dangerous.

Richard, Sheffield, uk

I must say that in a couple of ventures into hospitals recently, I did not find this happening. But then I am from a country backwater where standards are much higher. May be you all should migrate?

However, I am horrified to find that that Lord ?? is so vilified by speaking about his personal experience; but in this age of Nulabour PC and laws controlling free speech I am not surprised at Ann Keen, a Labour health minister responsible for overseeing NHS management, condemning his free speech. After all, the complaint should end on her desk! Her problem and she should deal with it.

Unfortunately, like the entire Government, all mistakes, misinformation and screw-ups are nothing to do with them, ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE!

M. Cawdery, Portadown, UK

You can see why the country is in a mess when we dont take allegations such as this seriously, before slating the individual who made them. We should investigate the specific comments and deal with the people concerned, if necessary.

And as for our nation's youth and their morals, forget it! Parents are often weak, the law has no bite, our children want for nothing and get everything on a plate; and in those circumstances, who can expect them to grow up with any balanced sense of morality or direction.

So, on balance, Ann Keen, a Labour Health Minster you may be, but this member of the Bristish public is not appauled by his comments. But I would like to see them properly investigated, rather than hearing the usual reactionary claptrap of just another politician.

paul johnson, London, UK

He should be sacked for comments like that. MY tax money pays his wages. And he earns a helluva lot more than most nurses.

I begrudge every penny that "peers" siphon out of the public pocket...they don't provide any service whatsoever to the running of the country!

I've experienced the NHS twice so I know what I'm talking about. Once when I was about 10, about the second time when I was about 35. I can tell you they are NOT grubby, promiscuous or treat you as a nuisance at all. They are the most caring loveliest people on the face of the earth, and the conditions they have to work in are appalling and they're very undervalued.

What about the scandal that MPs and peers have been misspending public money. Our money. By claiming thousands of pounds for flights, hotels, taxis, and second and third apartments while representing the public that put them in office in the first place!!

It's only because this person has a public mouthpiece that his comments get printed!

Andy, Reading,

One should be able to talk about one's experience without rebuke.
The other day I went to the doctor and was late for the practise nurse. I telephoned to inform them but both the receptionist and nurse tried to shame me for being late. They coud not behave like this if they did not have pateints guaranteed.
The medical profession is way too arrogant for my liking; they'd learn a bit from working in retail for a week, where one has to win custom

jane, oxford, uk

All the best nurses have emigrated or gone into private hospitals, and I dont blame them.
What skilled nurse wants to work with a load of immature, rude, incompetent and hungover ditry nursing staff who can't be bothered to wash their hands or their clothing!
Hospital linen is not changed, I can go back to 2003 when I caught a lung infection from dirty airconditioning on an international flight back from Australia. The hospital sheets were covered in dried blood, mucus, faeces and vomit judging by the smell and the nurses weren't any cleaner.
French hospitals are cleaner, I'm emigrating out of this ditry third world country.

Dawn , Hampshire, UK

“The nurses who looked after me were mostly grubby - we are talking about dirty fingernails and hair - and were slipshod and lazy. Worst of all, they were drunken and promiscuous,”

"How do I know that? Because if you're a patient and you're lying in a bed, and you're being nursed from either side, they talk across you as if you're not there.

"So I know exactly what they got up to the night before, and how much they drank, and I know exactly what they were planning to do the next night, and I can tell you, it's pretty horrifying."

The nurses were “an accurate reflection of many young women in Britain today”,

SOUNDS NOT TOO FAR FROM THE TRUTH TO ME.

“To brand all nurses in this way is an insult. Most patients would agree that the vast majority of nursing staff are a credit to their profession. They deliver high quality, professional care, day in, night out, caring for patients and take great pride in their work.”

PATHETIC. HAS HE BRANDED ALL NURSES AS BEING THE SAME? NO.

Jon Leigh, Southern, France

What a thoroughly despicable individual. The only 'miracle' is that the House of Lords tolerates such appalling, weak-willed characters as this clown. A drug addict criticising someone for drinking is ironic in the extreme. Is it any wonder that the establishment is held in such utter contempt?

Si, Maidstone,

Unfortunatley the peers comments are not too far from the truth. Having lived and been treated at the RUH Orthopaedic ward much of what he says is accurate. Much of culture of youth today does revolve around drinking and promiscuity. many nurses that you deal with are of the younger generation due to the nature of them being more junior. The standards in peoples self restraint and control have fallen a long way and some young people do not understand that certain conversations need to be held in private for the sake of their image and the sanity of the person forced to hear of their debauchery.
Due to this culture and lack of respect both myself and my wife decided it was not a good environment to live in so moved to Canada. What does that say of standards?

James Crowther, Calgary, Canada

Nurses like any other group of the population( even politicians )can be divided into the "Good,The Bad and the Ugly"). In my experience they are mostly in the Good category.

However In my personal recent experience of 4 hospitals overall standards of care and cleanliness are clearly varied and much needs to be done by managements including board members.

As an example of poor overall management anyone accessing the Royal United Bath hospitals website will eventually find the complaints procedure but it is by no means obvious

Brynley Davies, Chepstow, Monmouth

Finally someone is prepared to publicly expose the NHS for what it really is. I applaud Lord Mancroft for his direct no nonsense comments. My wife was forced to visit the JohnRadcliffe hospital in Oxford whilst pregnant and was confronted with scenes from the Middle Ages.
Shame on not just the current government, but also on the failure of successive governments to tackle this monster.

D.Everett, Zurich, Switzerland

Mmmm...... time to demand better standards?

judy, Liverpool, England

My mum is a nurse and has been for 30 years. I can assure you she is a caring woman who wouldn't dream of leaving a patient uncomfortable either by what she said or what she did.

Thankfully I have never needed to stay in a hospital due to drug addiction but if I did I would be happy to be looked after by an NHS nurse.

Please ignore idiotic reports like this and carry on the good work, with my thanks and the thanks of many who rely on your kind professional service.

Adam Knight, Stafford, England

He's right, of course, and everyone knows it. But it's just that in these PC times, no-one is supposed to SAY it. Nurses 'grubby, drunken and promiscuous'? Oh, come on, there are more reasons we love our nurses than just those ones.

Paul Francis, Brisbane, Australia

The criticism of Lord Mandrake is clearly politically driven. It is also wrong, at least from what is quoted in the article, to accuse him of making generalisations since he says “The nurses who looked after me ......."

I think I prefer his openness of expression after his actual experiences to his opponents PC comments, not apparently based on direct experience.

Roger T, West Yorks, England

I agree with Lord Mancoft's comments, my wife had a brief stay in an acute assessment ward, I found most of the nurses treat their patients with contempt, address them as 'darling', 'sweetheart' and 'lovie' to disguise this. Talk loudly at night, ignoring the needs of patients for restful sleep. Leave drip monitors bleeping all night. Punish 'difficult' patients with unnecessary blood tests.
In contrast all the doctors were excellent.

Michael, Swindon, Wiltshire

Of course, people in other jobs never get drunk. They are never lazy. They never slip into the storeroom for quick trist with the office junior. In every profession, in every industry, there will be those who are lazy, irresponsible and careless. To lambast such a public profession as nurses is outrageous. My wife is a nurse, and an excellent one too. Because of the biased, blinkered reporting about a minority she has to put up with abuse and hassle that would cause most of you would have a breakdown. All of her colleagues do an amazing job. I invite any one of you to work 12 hour shifts day or night, weekday or weekend, care for extremely ill and dying children as she does. Then maybe you'll learn to exercise some restraint and be thankful that there are those that care.

Matt Law, Didcot, UK

I used to work in a nursing library. I well remember nursing students saying they were not taught the basics such as hand washing.

Many a time they would come into the library coughing and sneezing, heaven only knows if they were doing the same on the wards.

As giving injections wasn't part of their normal training one of the tutors let them practice on oranges. It would explain why some of them were a tad heavy handed when I was a patient.

As for acting as if a patient wasn't there by talking over them - they acquired that skill from doctors.

Roz, Barnsley, South Yorkshire

The fact that Lord Mancroft has been prepared to use the platform which, unlike most of us, he has available to him and to tell it as he found it to be, is to be applauded. David Cameron's obsequiousness is to be roundly condemned. We seem to have an obsession in the UK with condemning anyone who dares to speak the truth. Thank goodness Lord Mancroft has had the courage not to back down and apologise for having said nothing wrong. I shall be listening out for Lord Mancroft’s contributions to public debate in the future. At the risk of sounding unctuous, Lord Mancroft has become one of my heroes.

Colin, Cumbria, UK

By turning nursing into a "profession" the Health service has removed a vital ingredient in a so called "Caring" profession.... Vocation.
Raising the wages, setting minimum qualification requirements, has now made nursing a career prospect for the moderately intelligent.
People now enter nursing to get on a career ladder in an industry that has a huge amount of money thrown at it.
Sadly, the days when nurses became nurses because they dreamt of helping and caring for people, are long gone.
Like almost all professions that involve dealing with the public in the 21st century, the majority of the employees see the general public as nothing but damn nuisances who interrupt their chat sessions.
This isnt a gender based problem, its pandemic and knows no boundaries.
We have no factories, no industry to speak of, so an army of people who once worked in "no public contact" environment, now take jobs dealing with people.
Be they nurses, sales, or call centres.. wrong people, wrong jobs

Phil J N, Liverpool,

I have been a nurse for over 40 years. I am still a nurse, active in caring. However, a nurse who talks over patients, discusses alcohol consumption and their sex life, has not been taught PROFESSIONALISM. We need to instill this. Unless a nurse respects the profession, how can he/she respect others?The role model in professionalism comes from nurse leaders. I do not mean those in the senior grades, but those at the grass roots. If this is happening in our hospitals, what are the ward managers doing? How are nurses being supervised? Are they aware of their Code of Conduct? There are many who would decry nursing and nurses, but few make the effort to ensure that ward managers have the time to instill professionalism amongst their staff. The ward managers are too busy meeting senseless targets and number crunching, to be able to teach and lead. Professionalism also emanates from the leader. If ward managers are not professional, expect the same from the staff. TRAIN MANAGERS TO LEAD!!

Carol Cleeton, HERVEY BAY, QLD, Australia

Maybe we have brought this on ourselves. Where are the days of the Matron, Ward Sister and Shift nurses in hospital uniform. Doctors and Specialists entered into a Matrons Domain and had to be accurate in their treatment as more often than not the Matron had more experience than the socalled Professional. What is missing is Dissaplin and Order.
Many a Ward Sister has been roasted for not running her ward correctly. The Union is the worst offender. More Pay for less work. Correct a worker and a work go slow is ordered. Next is the bean counters who run the hospital. The work load of the individul nurse is so great th