A good bedside manner should be encouraged in nursing staff by those in nurse manager jobs, because it helps patients feel happier, recover faster and save the NHS money.

According to The Daily Mail, a focus on money saving and increasing efficiency has led to compassion falling by the wayside. The irony in this is that a good bedside manner would deliver cost savings by helping patients to recover, resulting in quicker discharge rates.

Research from the NHS Confederation found that staff are guilty of regularly ignoring the factors that are important to patients, such as pain control, privacy and noise control. Furthermore, patients wanted nurses to be upbeat and talk to them, which they often didn't.

"Most NHS staff agree that patient experience could be improved and that, on occasion, the NHS has badly let down patients," the report says.

A recent review of healthcare saw Britain hit the bottom of the 2010 Commonwealth Fund appraisal list.

"Simple things like spending time with patients, talking to them, listening to their concerns and addressing issues like noise, privacy and the quality of food, can make a huge difference," explained Jo Webber from the NHS Confederation. "People who have a better experience in these terms are happier, healthier and do better."