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NHS Accused Of Neglecting Elderly Patients

By Andrew ⋅ August 17, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅ Post a comment

A report recently published by the BMJ, which identifies thousands of age discrimination cases in the United Kingdom, has attracted the attention of multiple anti-ageist charities and organizations, and put the British healthcare system in the spotlight. The BMJ-published report identifies thousands of cases where age discrimination is clearly present, highlights major flaws in the treatment of elderly patients and shows a routine neglect of the elderly and conditions which affect them, resulting in inadequate treatment.

Help the Aged has spearheaded the attack on the NHS and private practices, and the head of public affairs at Help the Aged told Medicalnewstoday: “These depressing results show that when it comes to healthcare, all too often older people and the conditions that affect them come far down the pecking order. This report shows that in approximately 7,000 cases older people have been denied the care they desperately need, while routinely, conditions that are common with older people are less likely to be cared for.”

Help the Aged have confirmed that they are taking positive action to prevent older patients suffering at the hands of age discrimination in the healthcare system, and are fighting to get new laws passed which specifically outline how elderly patients should be treated.

It is not just elderly patients in Hospitals which are neglected, but those visiting General Practices and residing in nursing homes. A study carried out in the Bristol area and lead by a Professor of primary care medicine: Tom Fahey, discovered shocking inadequacies in the care of the elderly including: Poor and inaccurate drug prescription, higher levels of misdiagnoses, poor monitoring and a general lack of appropriate care.

To find out more about the Help the Aged campaigns for equality among all ages go to www.helptheaged.org.uk

Quality of care for elderly residents in nursing homes and elderly people living at home @ BMJ
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Tags: elderly, help the aged, NHS