Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
18 August 2017 09:41
Too many older people are "suffering in silence" when things go wrong with their NHS care, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has said.
Relatives of older people receiving NHS care have raised concerns over some of the treatment.
More than one in three people said they were concerned about the care or treatment of their older relative in hospital.
Some 600 people with elderly relatives who had stayed in hospital overnight in the past year were polled by the website Gransnet and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).
Compelled to complain
The case of an older male patient having to dial 999 after a fall in his hospital room was among the concerns.
The relative explained: "After a fall my husband had to call 998 (999) for help. In his hospital room! No-one came. Lay on the floor for 75 minutes in agony before a doctor could be found."
More than half of those with concerns said they felt compelled to complain, but 50% of these pound found the complaints procedure "difficult".
A Gransnet spokesperson said even though services are "stretched" patients "deserve better than this".
Anyone taking a holiday with family can arrange specialist seniors travel insurance for older relatives.
What the PHSO and Gransnet say
PHSO Rob Behrens said: "The NHS is a lifeline for many vulnerable older people but, when things go wrong, too many are suffering in silence.
"I want people to be confident to complain, know their rights, and speak up when things go wrong so that the NHS can learn from mistakes and improve services for others."
Lara Crisp, editor of Gransnet, said: "Patients deserve better than this. While we appreciate that services are stretched, communication with patients and their families must be improved. They should feel that their concerns are taken seriously and addressed properly.
"It's simply not acceptable that over half of people with a concern feel they can't complain or that it won't make any difference if they do."
21 September 2018
UK holidaymakers could be missing out on more than 60 direct flight routes thanks to Air Passenger Duty (APD), a report suggests.
[more...]
20 September 2018
Living in areas with high levels of air pollution could be linked to an increased risk of dementia, new research suggests.
19 September 2018
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are shelling out tens of thousands of pounds for care - and many are unable to cover the costs, a leading charity has warned.
18 September 2018
As much as £6 of every £10 spent on domestic flights in the UK goes on Air Passenger Duty (APD), new research suggests.
15 September 2018
UK driving licences might become invalid in certain European countries if the UK crashes out of the EU with no deal, the Government has warned.
14 September 2018
Online crowdfunding for cancer treatments is indirectly advancing the rise of alternative "quack" therapies, experts have warned.
13 September 2018
A "wee-stick" like those used in pregnancy testing could be employed to prevent thousands of deaths from ovarian cancer.
11 September 2018
As many as 1.3 million passengers endured severe flight delays in the last year, a new study reveals.
08 September 2018
British Airways customers are cancelling their credit cards after the carrier was hit by a 15-day data breach that compromised the details of around 380,000 people.
06 September 2018
Plastic trays at security desks harbour the highest numbers of viruses at airports, new research has discovered.
05 September 2018
Adults are being urged to take advantage of a new online tool to find out if they are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
04 September 2018
Child cancer patients regularly have to travel twice as far and pay out twice as much when getting treatment, new data shows.