‘Older patients increasingly experiencing long waits and degrading corridor care’ – SAM president-elect

In response to an enquiry from The Independent regarding the scale of risk to elderly patients in the current context of short staffing and boarding on medical wards, Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:

“Older patients are increasingly receiving care well below the standards they should expect and that staff wish to provide but cannot due to the intense pressures that they are working under.

“This includes being subject to long waits in waiting rooms and degrading corridor care which is regrettably becoming widespread and increases the likelihood of adverse outcomes for this patient group. 

“We have been warning of the desperate need to increase capacity and workforce in the urgent and emergency care system for some time now.

“This is essential to help ensure timely transfer of patients to acute medical units and acute frailty units so these patients can receive the high quality care they deserve and that teams want to deliver. 

“Among the issues that need to be addressed urgently is support for the large numbers of older patients who wish to be at home but whose discharge is delayed due to lack of workforce in the social care system or timely access to high quality rehabilitation facilities.”

The Independent: www.independent.co.uk/news/health/eldely-neglect-nhs-hospitals-uk-b2508192.html#