NEWS
Home care for older people is so bad in some cases that it breach- es human rights, an investigation by the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has found.
There are serious issues of ne- glect and lack of respect for dig- nity and privacy, the EHRC found, and a lack of support for eating and drinking, patronising behav- iour, pushing and rough handling and care workers sticking too rig- idly to tasks, leading to neglect.
Articles 8, 3 and 2 of the Europe- an Convention on Human Rights were being breached, it said, and the EHRC now wants a potential loophole – which leaves it unclear what level of protection the elderly are afforded – to be closed.
But with one in three councils al- ready cutting back on home care spending, and more planning to, funding for quality care presents a challenge. The EHRC also calls for a sufficient complaints procedure, proper protection, effective moni- toring of care and clear guidance.
Higher dementia risk for those who rate their health poorly
There is a higher risk of develop- ing dementia for people who rate their own health as poor, accord- ing to research published in the journal Neurology.
Sally Greengross, Commissioner for the EHRC, said: “This is not about burdensome red tape; it is about protecting people from the kind of dehumanising treatment we have uncovered.
“The emphasis is on saving pen- nies rather than providing a ser- vice which will meet the very real needs of our grandparents, our parents, and eventually all of us.”
From April 2012, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will carry out home care service inspections, to regulate the quality of care being provided, covering about 250 providers. The CQC will be supported by professional experts and an advisory group including Age UK,
the United Kingdom
Homecare Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
Researchers at the University of Bordeaux in France studied 8,169 people aged over 65 for a period of seven years. By the end of the study, 618 had developed demen- tia, and the risk was 70% higher for people who had rated their health as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ compared to those who rated their health as either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. The risk for people who rated their health as ‘fair’ was 34% higher than for those who rated their health as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This is an intriguing study, and it will be important to see whether follow-up studies have similar find- ings. We urgently need to find new ways to prevent dementia, and understanding what increases our risk is just part of that process.”
Staff asked to work for free
Health Secretary Andrew Lans- ley took aim at NHS Wales in his speech to the Conservative Party conference in October, saying that Wales’ deaths from infection, waiting times and budget cuts all show that the health service in the country needs reform to make it more like its English counterpart.
NHE was at the party conference in Manchester when Lansley said: “In England now there are new cancer drugs available to patients, which are not available on the NHS in Wales. Yes, in Wales, run by a Labour Government. Don’t listen to the absurd inventions of Labour on the NHS, when you can look and see what Labour in pow- er means to the NHS in Wales.
“In Wales, NHS budgets [are be- ing] cut by more than 8% over three years. In England, we are increasing
the NHS budget in
real terms, each year. In England, the NHS treats over nine out of
Whipps Cross University Hospital Trust has asked its employees to give up their holidays and do un- paid work as part of ‘extraordinary financial measures’ to tackle its £4.5m deficit. All 3,400 workers were asked to voluntarily sacrifice part of their annual leave, take un- paid leave or perform ‘additional unpaid sessional duties’. In a letter to staff, Whipps Cross’ chief ex- ecutive, Cathy Geddes, explained that the Trust was facing “unprec- edented” financial challenges.
ten patients within 18 weeks. In Wales, it is barely seven out of ten.
“In Wales deaths from Clostridium difficile four years ago were the same as in England. Now in Wales they are twice as high as in England.
“Labour should stop scaremon- gering about the NHS in England and start adopting in Wales the changes we are making. The peo-
ple of Wales deserve better.”
But Labour’s Welsh health minis- ter Lesley Griffiths said the NHS in England was being “dismantled” under the Conservatives, and said waiting lists in England are “run- ning out of control”.
She told reporters: “Unlike the To- ries, we will not privatise the NHS – and we make no apologies for that whatsoever.”
In a press statement, she said: “Staff across the Trust are re- sponding positively to the meas- ures, and to our efficiency plans.
“We recognise that many people already go the extra mile and de- liver over and above their job re- quirements. By working together, we will all be helping to ensure that we can put maximum funds into our frontline services.”
national health executive Sep/Oct 11 | 11
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