Health services for elderly 'often lack privacy and dignity'

Tuesday, 27 May 2003 12:00 AM

Health services for the elderly have been criticised today for lacking privacy and dignity.

The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) came to the conclusion after analysing 250 of its reports on NHS organisations.

The NHS watchdog found that the elderly were most likely to suffer from delayed and poorly managed discharge to the care of community services.

It also reports that older people are likely to be cared for on wards that are inappropriate to their condition and have often been cared for on mixed sex wards.

Dr Linda Patterson, CHI's Medical Director said: 'We have discovered from our clinical governance reviews that there are varied levels of service for older people.'

'More must be done to ensure that older people receive the quality of care they deserve. That is, on the appropriate ward, treated with privacy and dignity, and discharged without delay when that treatment has finished.'

The findings are highlighted ahead of a review of the national service framework (NSF) for older people, due to take place this summer.

CHI, the Audit Commission and the Social Services Inspectorate are jointly undertaking the review, to be led by Deborah Klee.

Ms Klee said: 'Older people are major users of health and social care, so it is important that services are of high and improving quality to meet their needs.'

The review will look at health and social care communities progress against the NSF standards and a report is expected in late 2005.

Ms Klee concluded: 'The NSF for older people was introduced two years ago. All of the milestone dates except one would have been reached by 2004. It is important that we now review progress against these standards and milestones to underpin good practice and set the agenda for further improvement.'

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