Eight out of ten doctors believe healthcare services for older people are not good enough, according to a British Medical Association (BMA) survey out today.
And only one in ten believes enough money is being spent on care of the elderly in the NHS.
Around 500 GPs, consultants and staff grade doctors responded to the BMA survey about the care provided to older patients.
The biggest area of concern was the lack of services available in the community, with only one in ten (8.1 per cent) feeling that activities provided in residential and care homes to maintain mental agility and physical exercise were adequate.
Two thirds (62.1 per cent) thought there were not enough services to support people with dementia.
Only a third (33.6 per cent) said older people had continuous access to podiatry services.
Dr Helena McKeown, a GP from Wiltshire and the Chair of the BMA’s Committee on Community Care says: ‘It’s disgraceful that care services are so chronically under-funded.
‘For example, cutbacks in my area meant I heard of elderly patients having their bathing reduced from twice a week to once a week, something which they found very distressing and dehumanising.
‘We no longer have an attached social worker, a community physiotherapist or a dedicated community psychiatric nurse so it’s very difficult to give our patients the sort of joined-up care they need.
‘It’s incredibly frustrating for everyone involved – all we want to do is help our patients and we can’t.
‘The funding of community services has not kept up with society’s desire for people to stay in their homes for as long as possible.
‘People deserve to have an old age that is fulfilling and dignified; at the moment I don’t feel a lot of them are getting that.’
The survey also found that four in five (83 per cent) doctors don’t believe there are adequate respite facilities to support carers.
The BMA recently held a round table meeting to mark the contribution of carers and to discuss what further actions would help to support them.
BMA Chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum says: ‘Carers do an incredibly important but undervalued job which can often have an adverse affect on their own health.
‘The BMA, working with other health colleagues, intends to lobby the government on these issues to try to make sure carers and older people get the healthcare they deserve.’
Other findings from the BMA survey include:
Two thirds (67.8 per cent) of doctors believe staffing levels in residential and nursing homes are not appropriate and four out of five (78.2 per cent) believe that this is the key priority that needs to be addressed.
Three in five (60.2 per cent) doctors believe there isn’t appropriate continuity of care in both health and social services.
• Second news story
CHASE FARM PLANNING APPLICATION REJECTED
The Secretary of State (for Housing and Communities) has upheld the decision of Enfield council to reject the planning application to sell Chase Farm Hospital land for the construction and sale of private housing.
This is a victory for the massive campaign that has been organised in the area by the North East London Council of Action.
The NHS Trust has now got to return to the drawing board.
The decision comes at exactly the same time as the so called ‘Independent Reconfiguration Panel’ is now encamped in Enfield reviewing the reconfiguration plans of the Trust (the plans to close the A&E, Women’s and Children’s departments, and to replace them with a polyclinic).
This decision is now on hold as well, pending the ultimate decision of the Secretary of State for Health.
The North East London Council of Action has called a mass picket of the Chase Farm Hospital for Tuesday May 20th between 7am and 2pm.
Yesterday, its secretary Bill Rogers told News Line: ‘We have fought very hard, and we have won mass support for an occupation to keep the hospital open with all its departments fully functioning.
‘Our campaign is having some success and now we have to step it up.
‘We want the closure plan withdrawn, and the hospital to be fully funded for the vital job that it does.
‘We will not rest until we achieve this.’
