Editorial Editorial: All you need is love?

In a country renowned for its contribution to the establishment of nursing as a profession, we are reeling from yet another report of poor care. TheUKHealth Service Ombudsman report ‘Care and compassion?’1 detailed 10 investigations into the care of older people in the National Health Service (NHS). The report discussed the absence of the most fundamental aspects of care for older people. The journalist, Jenni Russell,2 recently shared her experiences of the NHS in a Sunday newspaper. She described how a friend’s father had moved ‘from an environment where staff were rude and mean to a micro civilisation where the ethos was kindness. ‘‘Honestly, he genuinely felt loved there’’’. Russell described the activities that contributed to this elderly gentleman feeling loved. She wrote ‘The nurses mushed up his food so that he could eat despite his mouth cancer; they were cheerful and tactful about his need for bedpans and bed baths; they talked to him with affection, took messages and rang his family with bulletins whenever they were asked to, even in the middle of the night. Even though he died from a hospital infection, the family has no regrets.’2 The attitudes and behaviour of nurses and other staff can make a significant contribution to patient well-being and dignity. However, explanations for good and poor care go beyond individual behaviour. The review of organizational ethics by Riitta Suhonen and colleagues informs us of the state of research in this important area. Elleke Landeweer’s exploration of moral decision-making in relation to seclusio