Liz Kendall, shadow minister for care and older people, responds to the Care Quality Commission's findings that elderly patients are often mistreated in hospitals.

"An unacceptably high number of older patients are denied basic help – with eating, drinking, or going to the toilet – and aren't treated with the dignity or respect we would all want for our elderly relatives. NHS services that are falling short must be brought up to the standards of the best.

"Right now the real challenge facing the NHS is to improve standards of care for patients whilst at the same time making significant efficiency savings. A huge structural re-organisation of the NHS will make it harder for the NHS to meet this challenge or to tackle the very serious problems raised by the CQC in its report."