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The independent care regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) says snap inspections at NHS hospitals in England found one in five of them neglecting elderly patients to such an extent that they were breaking the law.
The CQC conducted unannounced visits at 100 hospitals, and found cause for concern at more than half of them. It said there were too many cases of patients stripped of dignity and respect; ignored for hours on end, or not given help to eat, drink, or go to the toilet.
The commission's director of operations Amanda Sherlock said the problems stem from a "lack of leadership" in NHS hospitals.
"There should be no excuse from the trust boards, from the nurses and doctors and care assistants providing care directly or from the population in general," she told Today presenter James Naughtie.