Leading this week’s news round-up is the concerns being raised that elderly patients may be put at risk due to the rising pressure on the NHS to empty hospital beds ahead of the winter months.
Elsewhere, could it actually be a bad decision to offer your seat on public transport to the elderly? According to an Oxford professor, older people should be encouraged to stand and discouraged from taking it easy in order to keep themselves fit and healthy.
Lastly, NHS bosses at four trusts have raised more concerns about waiting times in hospitals, with one comparing current waiting times to the huge delays seen in 1999.
Elderly Patients could be at risk
The chief inspector of social care has warned that elderly patients could be at risk due to the rising pressure on hospitals to empty thousands of beds ahead of winter. Vulnerable, elderly patients could be moved into inadequate facilities to make room, due to councils being told that funding would be cut if they do not reduce bed blocking rates in their local hospitals.
At a conference held this week, Andrea Sutcliffe said:
“I worry that if people focus just on moving people through the system quickly then does that mean that they will force the discharge of somebody that is old and frail into a service which we have rated ‘inadequate’, which would put them at risk potentially.”
It was back in September when NHS chief executive Simon Stevens ordered hospitals to free up more than 2000 beds before the pressures of winter begin. The bed blocking crisis has been on-going for the last year or so, with elderly patients not having any suitable care back home.
A Telecare Alarm can help elderly patients as it provides them with 24-hour support without actually needing a carer. This means they can choose independence over care homes and hospital beds.
Don’t offer your seat to the elderly?
“We need to be encouraging activity as we age — not telling people to put their feet up. Don’t get a stair lift for your ageing parents, put in a second banister and think twice before giving up your seat on the bus or train to an older person. Standing up is great exercise for them.”
Concerns over NHS waiting times
This week’s news round-up ends with more concerns being raised over patient waiting times in NHS hospitals. Four NHS trust chief executives in England have posted comments on Twitter since Tuesday lamenting the challenges the service is facing, with one comparing current waiting issues to those found in 1999.
Tony Chambers, from Countess of Chester Hospital tweeted:
“Difficult to watch – Feels like a return to 1999 – this time with virtually no social care. We need to urgently integrate health & care.”
These comments follow disclosures by the BBC that more patients are waiting longer than the NHS Constitution says they should for A&E care, cancer treatment and non-urgent hospital operations.
If you’re looking for a Telecare Alarm and need further information please visit our Contact Us page or give our team a call for free on 0800 635 7000 today.
