Majority of older people waiting for treatment in daily pain

More than half of people aged 50 and over waiting for an operation report being in pain every day, according to new research from older people’s charity, Independent Age.

The charity found that almost one in three people over 65 have been waiting more than 12 months for a planned surgical procedure, such as a hip or knee replacement.

With the number of people on NHS waiting lists now at a record high of 5.61 million, the new report also found that many people in later life were deteriorating rapidly as they waited for surgery. In addition to regular pain, over half (55 per cent) said they struggled with day to day activities.

When interviewed, older people spoke about how the uncertainty, poor communications and lack of support had made their lives ‘excruciating’, ‘intolerable’ and ‘lonely’.

Even though 71 per cent reported pain at some point while on a waiting list, 47 per cent said they have not been provided or offered any help from the NHS to help manage their condition, or the pain relating to it, while they wait. For those that did, the most common support was prescription or over the counter medication.

Deborah Alsina, chief executive of Independent Age, said: “We recognise the NHS has been under huge pressure due to Covid-19 and their staff have gone above and beyond to support those with the virus and to keep routine services running. However, we now have the longest backlogs on record and a significant number of people over 65 are caught up in them.

“Many older people are living in daily pain and experiencing declining mental and physical health. We’ve heard from people who are struggling with day-to-day tasks like preparing food, brushing their teeth or going for walks. Their wait for surgery is negatively affecting their mood and well-being, and many have told us they feel frustrated and forgotten. Reducing the record numbers of people waiting for surgery must remain a priority for the government, but it should also do more to stop those already waiting from deteriorating further.

“We welcome the funding commitment by the government to tackle the elective backlog, however, it will still take several years for the NHS to recover. This inevitably means long waits for thousands of older people, and there is still a lack of detail on plans to ensure those still waiting maintain a good quality of life.  We need an urgent plan to address this.”