6 August 2012 Last updated at 06:42 ET

Concerns at Monklands Hospital resuscitation procedures

NHS Lanarkshire said the report would help drive higher standards at Monklands

A hospital has been told to tighten its procedures after staff gave inspectors the wrong information on patients identified as not for resuscitation.

The error came to light during an inspection visit at Monklands Hospital, in Airdrie, in June.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland found seven areas of strength and highlighted 15 areas requiring attention.

NHS Lanarkshire said it was "addressing as a priority" all issues which had been raised by inspectors.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland carried out the announced inspection visit to the hospital from 25 to 27 June.

Patient confidentiality

In their report, inspectors said: "NHS Lanarkshire must ensure that clinical staff comply with the national policy on 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation'."

The reports highlighted several areas of weakness in procedure, noting: "On one ward, staff gave us incorrect information about those patients who were identified as not for resuscitation.

"When we explored this with staff, we found that these patients had been identified by room number and this became inaccurate when patients moved rooms."

The report also highlighted incidents where staff had not used "appropriate language when talking about older people" and when patient confidentiality guidelines had not always been followed.

It also recommended that "NHS Lanarkshire must ensure that patients have access to a range of meaningful activities and stimuli to help keep them active and promote and maintain physical and mental wellbeing."

The health board said it welcomed the report and noted that it had recognised "some areas of strength" in the care of older people.

These included the use of "dementia champions" in wards and picture signage around the hospital to help orientate people with dementia or cognitive impairment.

NHS Lanarkshire's director of nursing Rosemary Lyness said: "The inspectors highlighted areas for improvement, which we are addressing as a priority.

"We will use the inspectors' feedback to drive higher standards of care for every patient and have developed a detailed action plan to fully address all the issues they have identified.

"Our action plan includes additional steps to make staff aware of the national guidance on 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' and to ensure they are consistently put it into practice."