Over-65’s let down by NHS, report claims

According to a report commissioned by the NHS Confederation, a significant number of over-65s end up in A&E unnecessarily.

The report, entitled ‘Improving Urgent Care for Older People’, claimed that too many older people were ending up in A&E due to a lack of support when they became ill. It calls for new measures to be introduced, such as providing urgent care at home and getting doctors to carry out ‘ward rounds’ in care homes.

The report also commented that once admitted to hospital, elderly patients often faced longer stays, decreasing their independence. It added that more support should be provided to help older people navigate the complexities of the health care system.

The study proposed that GP’s should identify patients most at risk of hospital admission and work to support them in avoiding visits, citing a team in Hertfordshire, where GPs visited care home residents on a regular basis.

Data found that: most hospital beds are occupied by people over the age of 65; health and care spending on the over-75s is 13 times higher than that on younger people; that over-65s account for 3.7 million A&E visits - about one in six of the total; and that once admitted the over-85s stay 11 days on average - twice as long as the average for all ages.

Dr Mark Newbold, who chairs the commission, said: "Older people do need to access A&E at times, and the best hospitals tailor their service to meet their needs.

"But all too often, older people are forced to go to A&E because the alternative services that would help them be cared for at home are not available at the time they need them."

A spokeswoman for the DoH responded that the government was highly supportive of the report’s proposals and referred to the £5.3bn Better Care Fund, which has been set side to fund schemes largely focused on keeping people out of hospital.