Patient protection: ill-treatment and wilful neglect

The crimes of ill-treating or wilfully neglecting patients have been extended to protect all patients regardless of age or decision-making capacity. A new offence has also been created that will allow for the prosecution of care organisations where ill treatment or wilful neglect has resulted from a gross breach of that organisation's duty of care to its patient. In this article, the author sets out the elements of these criminal offences and considers their implications for nursing practice.