BED-BLOCKING: THE CARE CRISIS LAID BARE - AGAIN

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

@SagaRosAltmann

QUOTES

November 8, 2011.

BED-BLOCKING: THE CARE CRISIS LAID BARE - AGAIN.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director General of over-50s group Saga, commenting on the rising level of “bed blocking” in England, said:

“Radical reform seems to be being applied to every aspect of our lives – except care. Why? The benefits – blindingly obvious - could be financially and socially life-changing.

“On average, a hospital bed costs £255 a day – and there were 128,500 patient days of delay in getting people, mainly elderly and vulnerable, back home or into the social care system in August and September 2011 alone. Don’t bother reaching for the calculator – it’s clearly a massive cost, is growing, and equates to just one-sixth of the year.

“This country is wasting billions of pounds paying for older people to be cared for in the most expensive and often most inappropriate places – hospital wards - instead of ensuring they are looked after in their own home or a care home.

“Not only would costs be slashed, it would be vastly more dignified and comfortable for all concerned. We need that radical overhaul of care funding, and proper integration between health and care systems for the increasing numbers of older people in the UK.

“The Andrew Dilnot care funding report ball has clearly been kicked deep into the long grass. Somebody needs to go get it – which would surely help in unlocking the care crisis, yet another facet of which is laid bare here.

“We need to get people out of hospital faster and into the care system rather than staying in hospital longer than they need to, which is worse for them - and much worse for the NHS - or better still, avoid hospital admission in the first place.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

www.saga.co.uk

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

CQC REPORT: SYSTEM OVERWHELMED - ELDERLY SHOULD BE AT HOME, NOT IN HOSPITAL.

SAGA

QUOTES 
 
October 13, 2011. 

CQC REPORT: SYSTEM OVERWHELMED - ELDERLY SHOULD BE AT HOME, NOT IN HOSPITAL.

 
Commenting on the CQC report into care of the elderly in hospital, Paul Green, head of communications for the over-50s group Saga, said:
 
“There are far too many older people in hospital because of lack of provision of suitable social and medical care in the community. What’s more, the proportion of patients in hospital who are frail and elderly is steadily rising - and they have much greater care needs which sometimes completely overwhelm the hospital staffing resource. 
 
“The key question could well be whether the conditions reported by the CQC are sparked by demoralised staff, poor management or financial pressures – each of which can be addressed – or whether a poor attitude towards the elderly and vulnerable is becoming endemic – which is not so easily addressed. 
 
“The vast majority of nursing staff are caring, conscientious and committed. The one question the report does not appear to answer is why this attitude has developed, and why in some hospitals and not others. 
 
“That it is not common across all hospitals means that there are clearly specific issues at specific hospitals, which provide a solid basis for investigation and redress. 
 
“Nevertheless, it is yet more evidence that the elderly and vulnerable continue to be dealt poor hands when it comes to care and support.” 

Ends

Further information:

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

www.saga.co.uk

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

"RELATIVES SHOULD CARE FOR ELDERLY IN HOSPITAL" - SAGA DIRECTOR-GENERAL DR ROS ALTMANN COMMENTS.

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

QUOTES

September 27, 2011.

"RELATIVES SHOULD CARE FOR ELDERLY IN HOSPITAL" - SAGA DIRECTOR-GENERAL DR ROS ALTMANN COMMENTS.

Commenting on news that nursing staff may ask relatives to care for elderly hospital patients, Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, said:

"The suggestion of hospital nurses relying on patients' visitors to care for them is astonishing. If patients are in hospital then it is hospital staff who surely have a duty of care to look after patients' needs such as feeding them and ensuring they are clean, washed and dry.

"The problem here is that too many older people end up in acute hospital beds when they really should be cared for elsewhere, but in our current healthcare system the NHS is the default safety net which looks after people when no other care setting is in place. This is a massive waste of resources and definitely sub-optimal for patients too.

"A greater use of publicly-funded domiciliary care for those without acute medical problems could save the NHS a fortune while also improving quality of life for older people.

"Many older patients do not want to be in hospital and these comments suggest some nurses - a minority, I suspect - don't want them there either. What a sorry state of affairs.

"Happily, we do see many examples of wonderful dedicated nursing staff who look after older patients marvellously, but clearly there are strains within our system. A greater emphasis on domiciliary and other social care would be better for many patients, could prevent or shorten hospital stays and save billions of pounds for the NHS.

"The sooner we recognise the need to properly reform social care and integrate this with the Heath Service, the better. We need to ensure better public and private funding for care and reform is long overdue. Andrew Dilnot has offered part of the solution, and we must get on with implementation and integration as soon as possible."

Ends

Further information:
Dr. Ros Altmann
Director-General, Saga
ros.altmann@saga.co.uk
www.saga.co.uk
07545 504513
Twitter @SagaRosAltmann

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

AMBULANCE RACE AGAINST TIME SAVES MAN’S LIFE.

SAVOY VENTURES LTD.

NHS PATIENT TRANSPORT

PRESS RELEASE

July 1, 2011.

AMBULANCE RACE AGAINST TIME SAVES MAN’S LIFE.

Two ambulance technicians are in line for employee of the month awards after making the dash of the year to make the difference of a lifetime.

Greenhithe-based father and son ambulance crew Richard and Paul Cross were told they had just 30 minutes to get a critically ill man from his bed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich to the operating theatre in King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill.

“The nurses did an amazing job to get the patient from his bed to our ambulance in just 10 minutes, but that left us just 20 minutes to cover a route the satnav says takes 23 minutes, but anybody in the area knows can take 45 minutes if the traffic’s against you,” said Paul Cross, an ambulance technician with patient transport provider Savoy Ventures Limited. http://www.savoyventures.co.uk/

“Amazingly, we covered it in 15 minutes with my father – Richard – driving the ambulance on blue lights and sirens, but we knew it was tight when the King’s College team were waiting at the door and started working on the patient even as we had him on the trolley out of the ambulance.”

The patient had suffered a serious cranial bleed and needed immediate life-saving surgery which could only be provided at King’s College Hospital, but, amazingly, was sitting up in bed and talking to relatives within 48 hours.

“That was an incredibly satisfying and rewarding result,” said Paul. Video interview.

Richard Cross, who was driving the ambulance, said that a great deal of the good fortune in traffic was down to drivers being alert and decisive.

“Sometimes they panic, sometimes they don’t – and they coolly and calmly do exactly what we need, which is to make space for us without panicking or putting themselves in danger,” said Richard.

Savoy Ventures Limited is a private company providing patient transport and transfer services to NHS Trusts in the South East of England. Established in 2006, Savoy makes more than 240,000 patient transfer journeys a year. Savoy Ventures Limited is engaged by a number of NHS Trusts to carry out blue-light transfers, specialist wheelchair, incubator, bariatric chair or stretcher transport, notes/X-ray transfer, and movement of tissue between hospitals. Many staff are trained and qualified to Ambulance Technician level.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.savoyventures.com

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION NHS REPORT: CARE APOCALYPSE IMMINENT SAYS OVER-50S GROUP SAGA.

DR ROS ALTMANN
DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA
PRESS RELEASE

May 26, 2011.

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION NHS REPORT: CARE APOCALYPSE IMMINENT SAYS OVER-50S GROUP SAGA.

Commenting on the Care Quality Commission report on failures by NHS hospital staff to adequately look after basic needs of the elderly, Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s lifestyle group Saga, said:

“How much more evidence is needed that the care system in the UK is about to collapse into a crisis?

“They do a fantastic job, but our nurses are not supermen and women: the truth is that nurses get little training in the care of frail elderly patients such as those with dementia, yet, because our system of care is so inadequate, far too many older people end up in acute beds on hospital wards, tended by nurses who are simply not trained to address their specific needs.

“Just because those in the frontline keep banging on about it, it does not mean the issue is any less potentially apocalyptic. This problem will only get worse as the population ages, compounded by local authority cutbacks and woefully inadequate numbers of care beds.

“While reforms of the NHS are being reconsidered, it is important that integration of health and care services is part of the picture.

“Specialist elderly care, more emphasis on preventative measures funded from NHS budgets, more domiciliary care and telehealth or telecare are all required, but there is hardly any money available for such investment.

“Without such measures it is inevitable that more older people will end up in hospital, blocking acute NHS beds and costing taxpayers a fortune.

“It's time for longer-term thinking on long term care.”

Ends

Further information:

Dr. Ros Altmann
Director-General, Saga
ros.altmann@saga.co.uk
07545 504513
Twitter @SagaRosAltmann

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800
Twitter @Press_Relations