Express & Star comment: NHS must do better for elderly
We make no apology for revisiting the issue of our National Health Service.
Once revered the world over, it has long since become one of Britain’s worst examples of top level mismanagement.
New figures released today show that nearly 1,800 pensioners across the Black Country were discharged from hospital late at night during the last year.
Astonishingly, most of them were left to make their own way home. And many of the patients were aged 85 or older.
We know the NHS has serious issues with funding.
And it is little wonder that many of the service’s hard working staff appear to be at their wits’ end.
There are questions over whether those occupying the top jobs have ensured that the service makes the best use of its resources.
Issues such as the lengthy waiting times experienced by patients at A&E departments can’t simply be solved with a cash injection.
In the present highly charged political climate, the Labour party, under the guidance of its hard left leader Jeremy Corbyn, rarely misses a trick when it comes to pointing out Tory failings on the NHS.
In some ways, the NHS has become Mr Corbyn’s favourite stick with which to beat the Government.
But this issue goes way beyond politicised arguments over funding.
It all comes back to how we treat elderly people in this country.
There is absolutely no excuse for a hospital turfing an 85-year-old out onto the streets in the middle of the night.
How exactly does that equate with Britain being a caring society?
We hear a lot of talk about treating elderly people with dignity and respect.
Yet this NHS practice of discharging older and vulnerable patients late at night shows a complete lack of compassion.
You can tell a lot about a society by the way it treats its elderly.
In Britain, we need to redouble our efforts to ensure we have a caring environment for elderly people, where they can feel safe and well looked after.
It may be convenient for hospitals to free up much needed bed space, but we should never resort to disrespecting the elderly.
It is time for our hospitals to end these night time hospital discharges.
