Funding for elderly care
Monday, 12 May 2008 13:18
Elderly care funding is insufficient, doctors say
Just one in ten doctors believes enough money is being spent on the care of the elderly in the NHS, a new survey has revealed.
The poll for the British Medical Association (BMA) also found that 80 per cent of doctors think healthcare services for older people are not good enough.
The main area of concern was the lack of services available in the community and nearly two-thirds of doctors thought there are not enough services to support people with dementia.
Concerns were also raised about the respite facilities to support carers, with 83 per cent of doctors saying the facilities are inadequate.
About 500 GPs, consultants and staff grade doctors responded to the BMA survey about the care provided to older patients.
Dr Helena McKeown, a GP from Wiltshire and the chair of the BMA's committee on community care, said it is "disgraceful that care services are so chronically under-funded".
"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," she added.
"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."
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