Help the Aged: Variations are unacceptable
Wednesday, 14 May 2008 13:26
Variations in care throughout England's NHS hospitals are "unacceptable", Help the Aged has said.
The charity raised concerns with the differences in care after they were revealed in a poll by the Healthcare Commission.
While more patients rated their care as "excellent" there are still "striking" differences in standards of care, the survey discovered.
"Scores in some trusts were worryingly low when it came to being treated with dignity and respect or receiving help with eating - areas of care particularly important to older people," said Charlotte Potter, senior health policy ffficer at Help the Aged.
"Help the Aged believes we are all entitled to equal quality of care, but these variations show this is not currently happening - and older people will often be the ones bearing the brunt.
"Help the Aged is campaigning for age discrimination to be outlawed and has called on the government to include age as part of the equalities bill."
