Call for NHS healthcare assistants 'shake-up'

New checks and measures for healthcare assistants is needed in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal, an independent report has concluded.

The Cavendish Review aims to ensure vulnerable patients are treated in a dignified way. It recommends that healthcare assistants (HCAs) should adopt a universal training system and gain accreditation before they can work unsupervised.

There is currently no consistent qualification or training for HCAs.

Sophie Hutchinson reports.