Huge rise in A & E visits by OAPs

[Gromit]

// The number of elderly people being admitted to accident and emergency departments has soared to more than 1.2million a year, figures have revealed.

The numbers of over-80s taken to A&E has risen 37 per cent in two years, according to the Department of Health figures – from 913,785 in 2007/08 to more than 1,247,672 million in 2009/10. //

http://www.dailymail....m-figures-reveal.html

How do they cope when A&E Departments of full of drunken young people and immigrants?

[boxtops]

Add Falls into this - falls in the elderly are a huge problem, and if the unfortunate publicity about lack of care in some parts of the Homes sector is founded, then if people are falling (out of bed or not) then that adds considerably to the data. Being bedbound from falls then risks pneumonia and further admissions.

I too wondered where the immigrants in Gromit's post fit in - our A&E doesn't have more immigrant patients than fit the local demographics.

[sara3]

my mother is a drama queen. I reckon there's a seat with her name on it at her gp's and the local A&E dept.

[Sqad]

Gromit....this problem is of long standing and multifactorial made worse by the deal agreed by the last Labour Government with the BMA.........more money for less work and contracting out of weekend and night calls.

JTP......all you points are well. Mo we do not know if the accident rate has fallen to compensate for the increase in old people.....although I have my personal views.

[boxtops]

sara - that's where she goes to watch EastEnders :-)

[Teddy_boy]

You cant have a daily mail story without the word immigrant in it. Its a law. Or so it would seem.

[boxtops]

LOL @ teddy - most of the immigrants I know here in the NHS are second and third generation, hardly not contributing to the national economy!

[sara3]

boxy, you're probably right!

to be fair, she has had a few falls so most of the hospital visits are acceptable in my view.. but she sees the GP possibly every week. it's astounding.

[Teddy_boy]

Without immigrants the nhs would collapse.Imagine getting some of the great unemployed to wheel an oap to the xray department? Said oap would be dead waiting. Minimum wage is beneath them apparently.

[Ann]

In my local paper today Leicester Royal Infirmary are to clear a 16 bed ward to accommodate DRUNKS on New Years Eve ....... clearly this costs the NHS money - what are your views on this? I think they should leave them in a cell to sober up!
http://www.thisisleic...281-detail/story.html

[Teddy_boy]

Remember that some 80 year olds paid their tuppence happeny national insurance in the 50s so they are entitled to it.

[boxtops]

I'd suggested self-inflicted admissions should have to pay for the treatment they receive - eg the drunks - but sadly that would mean another battery of finance people to administer the charging process....

[jake-the-peg]

We do know this actually sqad

The road accident rate has fallen significantly in the last couple of years

2010 had nearly half the number of fatalities from 1997 and its a continuing decline

http://en.wikipedia.o...ualties_Great_Britain

However looking a bit more deeply into the stats

http://www.dh.gov.uk/...ndEmergency/DH_077485

A&E admissions seems to go up about 2% a year on average but that rate seems to have been closer to 4% rise a year in the last two years

Now if life expectancies were to be seen to go up in the same pattern it could be a good thing

there is an assumption that a rise in A&E admissions is bad

Corpses don't get admitted to A&E!

[Teddy_boy]

But isnt smoking and thus smoking related cancer self inflicted?

[Gromit]

boxtops

So if you are old and slip on the ice it is free.
But if you have a couple of pints and slip on the ice, you have to pay?

Good luck enforcing that one.

[boxtops]

Well we'd need definitions - falling out of a pub ratted would be a payer to me.... passing out and having to get an ambo would be.... ice doesn't come into it (but I think i'll leave that for further discussion!)

[jake-the-peg]

It gets awfully compicated when you start deciding what's self inflicted

If someone has a few drinks and then gets a liver disease is self inflicted? where do you draw that line?

How about car accident victims - are you going to await the outcome of an accident report before you decide whether or not to charge

What about those who can't pay?

and the amount of bueacracy you'd generate is mindblowing - just imagine the appeals!

but most of all the doctors would oppose you tooth and nail - they don't want to be in the position of deciding who is and who is not deserving of treatment

[Teddy_boy]

Gromit so old people dont drink?

[craft1948]

Mine's a G&T if it's your round Teddy................

[Sqad]

JTP.that link has been heavily criticised by various authorities including an article in tha BMJ suggesting that the number of RTA's is three times the recorded number.However I respect you point, but still feel that the "declining" RTA's are taking up the slack ofnthe increase innadmission of OAP.s

[boxtops]

It's my birthday, I'm relatively old, have a banana Daquiri :-)