References

the Health Service Ombudsman on ten investi-gations into NHS care of older people. London: The Stationery Office, 2011. www. ombudsman.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_ file/0016/7216/Care-and-Compassion-PHSO-0114web.pdf [Accessed 22 March 2013]. control data from patients who received standard existing ward care and assistance with meals. A total of 278 patients across six medical wards were included, of which 191 (70%) were assisted by our student volunteers, com-pared with 87 (30%) who were not. The mean patient age was 85 years. Those who received assistance from the students not only consumed significantly more food and drink (p0.01) (Fig 1), but also reported much greater enjoyment of their meals (p0.001). In keeping with this, 96 % reported that they would like similar help again. We therefore feel our project provided safe, effective feeding assistance to those most in need. We hope this raises awareness of how a simple, low cost intervention can have a significant impact on patient care. In addition, it promotes voluntary work in local communities, and equips volunteers with transferable skills for future careers in healthcare