County is worst place in UK for sick pensioners

2:03pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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GLOUCESTERSHIRE has been shamed as one of the worst areas for sick pensioners to live in by a damning report.

According to Age Concern the NHS is failing older people with chronic health problems who need care despite new government guidelines to make the entitlement fairer.

"This should be properly funded and it should not be a post-code lottery for older people. "

Christina Snell, Age Concern Gloucestershire

The worst off are the elderly in Gloucestershire where only 0.01 percent of the population receive continuing care and 2.2 percent of the population is over 85.

Age Concern reported Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust offers the lowest level of continuing care in England at only 5.65 people per 50,000 population.

Continuing care is a package of ongoing care arranged and funded by the NHS for physical or mental health needs which have arisen because of illness.

It can be provided in any setting, including a care home, hospice or the person's own home.

Director General of Age Concern Gordon Lishman said: "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."

However Gloucestershire PCT has said the figures quoted are incorrect.

It has indicated the number of continuing care packages in the county is 377 which equals 31.19 people per 50,000 population and the number of funded care placements is 101 which equals 8.3 per 50,000 population.

A Gloucestershire PCT spokesman said: "Combining these two aspects of continuing care in Gloucestershire equates to 39.55 people per 50,000 population, which is higher than the average in England of 26 per 50,000.

"We have been working closely with the County Council Community and Adult Care Directorate to develop more capacity to meet increasing needs."

But Gloucestershire's Age Concern chief executive officer Christina Snell said she was shocked by the news.

"The PCT's view is the numbers are wrong but they gave the numbers to Age Concern in the first place," she said.

She added: "This should be properly funded and it should not be a post-code lottery for older people. If these figures are correct we would be extremely concerned."