Elderly patients stuck in hospital beds age the equivalent of ten years in just ten days through inactivity the new medical director of the NHS has said. Stephen Powis said it is essential that community services are improved so that pensioners are not kept unnecessarily on wards. Professor Powis said that there are over half a million more people aged over 75 than in 2010 and there will be a further 2 million more in ten years time. Whilst people get older they often spend more time with ill health. Andrew Travers the chief executive of Lambeth Council warned that the health service crisis could become an all year round event due to a lack of social care. Health Secretary (Jeremy Hunt) stated Winter 2017/18 was probably the worst on record.
Mark Booker (Independent Living Chorley & Leyland) commented “we are all emotionally attached to the NHS and more funding is popular with the public. Less fashionable is social care but what people need to understand is that if social care is not properly funded no matter how well the NHS performs people who need support at home will not be able to leave hospital yet it is proven that staying in hospital beyond medical need is both expensive and not good for the patient. Therefore social care funding is just as important as NHS funds.”
