Text Size:

|
|
Search the Age Concern website

NHS failing older people needing continuing care local black spots exposed

Many older people who need care because of chronic health problems are being let down by the NHS‚ figures obtained by Age Concern reveal.1

Fewer people are now getting ‘Continuing NHS Healthcare’ overall‚ despite the introduction of new Government guidelines to make entitlement fairer. This should have qualified an additional 5‚500 people for ‘Continuing NHS Healthcare’.2

The charity described the failings as a further evidence of how the entire care system is routinely failing older people and their families.

Huge differences remain in how many people are getting continuing care between Primary Care Trusts (PCT). The PCT with the lowest record for paying out continuing care is offering funding to nearly sixteen times fewer people than the PCT that reported the highest figure.3

There has been some improvement in the disparity between PCTs‚ but‚ huge cut backs made by those that were supporting the most people have outstripped the gains made by the PCTs that were giving this funding to the fewest people.4

Gloucestershire PCT has reported the lowest level of continuing care in England at only 5.65 people per 50‚000 population. Yet the need for continuing care in the county is likely to be above average because a relatively high number of people over 85 years old live there.5

Shockingly‚ the PCT that reported the second lowest level – East Riding of Yorkshire PCT – cut its numbers in half by the end of the year.6  But these are not the biggest cut backs. Mid Essex‚ Sandwell and Wandsworth PCTs all reported staggering reductions in excess of 80%.7

Improvements appear to have been made elsewhere. Derby City PCT recorded the lowest rate of continuing care in England at only 1.48 people per 50‚000 at the start of 2007. But an incredible 1‚708% boost in the following year means it is no longer bottom of the list.  This massive change is by far the biggest improvement reported by any PCT.8

Coventry Teaching PCT is now giving continuing care funding to the most people of any PCT. A 362% boost during a year increased the number of people getting this funding to 88.07 people per 50‚000 population. Plymouth Teaching PCT also made a huge increase of 235% to 67.44 people.9

Gordon Lishman‚ Director General of Age Concern‚ said: “Some areas of the country seem to be black spots for older people needing continuing care. Frail older people should not be denied the care they are entitled to because of where they happen to live. PCTs need to iron out these inconsistencies or face more claims for compensation. This is just one example of how the care system is routinely failing older people and their families. The government must stop talking about fixing this problem and start delivering.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

  1. The number of people receiving continuing care in each PCT area in 2007 were listed by Health Under Secretary Ivan Lewis in a parliamentary answer on 22 February 2008. He was asked how many people received continuing care (a) in total and (b) per 50‚000 of population in each primary care trust area in England in each quarter of 2007. (Please contact Age Concern for a copy of these results.)
  2. Between Q4 2006-07 and Q1 2007-08 the number of people getting continuing care in England fell from 30‚975 to 24‚952. Figures then rose in the following two quarters‚ ending the year on 29‚092. An expected rise of 5‚500 more people getting this funding was reported in The National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS funded Nursing Care in England‚ Department of Health‚ June 2007.
  3. In Q4 2006/07 Derby City PCT offered the fewest people continuing care at only 1.48 per 50‚000 population while Harrow PCT offered it to 192.48 people per 50‚000. In Q3 2007/08 Gloucestershire PCT offered the lowest at 5.65 people per 50‚000 population and Coventry Teaching PCT offered it to 88.07.
  4. The average for the 25 PCTs offering the most people continuing care funding in Q4 2006/07 fell from 78.35 to 51.87 people per 50‚000 population by Q3 2007/08 – a fall of 80%. The average for the 25 PCTs offering the fewest people continuing care funding in Q4 2006/07 rose from 9.55 to 15.95 people per 50‚000 population by Q3 2007/08 – a rise of 113%.
    5. Several measures were calculated for comparing how each PCT has allocated continuing care:
    i) comparing each PCT with the mean for England during the period Q4 2006/07 and Q3 2007/08
    82 PCTs are funding continuing care to fewer people than the national average mean for England between Q4 2006/07 and Q3 2007/08. 70 PCTs offer it to more people than the national mean of 27.82 people per 50‚000 population.
    ii) comparing each PCT with the mean for England just in Q3 2007/08
    88 PCTs are funding continuing care to fewer people than the national mean for Q3 2007/08 for England‚ while only 64 PCTs fund more people than the national mean of 28.78 people per 50‚000 population.
    iii) ranking the PCTs with the lowest number of people being funded in Q3 2007/08
    Of the 25 PCTs providing continuing care to the fewest people in Q3 2007/08‚ two thirds (64%) have reduced the number of people getting this funding in the year Q4 2006/07 - Q3 2007/08.
    iv) ranking the PCTs with highest number of people being funded in Q3 2007/08
    Of the 25 PCTs providing continuing care to the most people in – Q3 2007/08‚ only 28% have reduced the number of people getting this funding in the year Q4 2006/07 – Q3 2007/08.
    v) ranking the PCTs with the biggest change in the figures recorded for Q4 2006/07 and for Q3 2007/08
    45% of the 25 PCTs offering the fewest people continuing care funding are also on the list of the 25 PCTs that have made the biggest cut backs in England. Only two of the 25 PCTs that reported the highest number of people getting continuing care are on the same list.
  5. Gloucestershire PCT supported 5.65 people per 50‚000 population in Q3 2007/08. This represents 0.01% of the county’s residents. ONS Census figures show that 2.2% of people living in Gloucestershire are aged 85 or older. In England‚ 1.94% of the population is aged 85 or older and 15.89% is aged 65 or older.
  6. The number of people getting continuing care fell from 14.81 people per 50‚000 population in Q4 2006/07 to 7.43 in Q3 2007/08 in East Riding of Yorkshire PCT (-49.83%).
  7. Mid Essex -89%‚ Sandwell PCT -82% and Wandsworth PCT -80%. Percentages were calculated using the Q4 2006/07 and Q3 2007/08 figures to compare the start and end of the year.
  8. Derby City PCT offered 1.48 in Q4 2006/07‚ rising to 25.28 at Q3 2007/08.
  9. Percentages were calculated using the Q4 2006/07 and Q3 2007/08 figures to compare the start and end of the year.

For general enquiries please contact us.

Journalists contact:

Media contact:
Brendan Paddy/Zena Ambrose
Telephone:
020 8765 7350/7512
Out of office hours:
07071 243 243
Email:
Media@ace.org.uk