The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has called on local commissioners to plan the care of vulnerable older people more effectively.
Results from more than 35,000 inspections, put together in the CQC’s fourth annual State of Care report found that more than half a million people aged 65 and over were admitted to hospital with ‘avoidable’ conditions.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has called on local commissioners to plan the care of vulnerable older people more effectively.
Results from more than 35,000 inspections, put together in the CQC’s fourth annual State of Care report found that more than half a million people aged 65 and over were admitted to hospital with ‘avoidable’ conditions.
The increase in the numbers of people aged 75 and over admitted as an emergency with ‘avoidable’ conditions is even greater. A quarter of the 396,000 emergency admissions could have been avoided.
During 2012/13, more than 9% of people aged 75 and over across England experienced at least one emergency hospital admission for an avoidable condition.
But some areas of the country are managing avoidable admissions better than others.
The North East of England has the highest rate of older people going to hospital with avoidable conditions, and the South West has the lowest.
And areas of the country with higher proportions of older people tend to have fewer avoidable emergency admissions. The CQC believes this could be due to greater awareness of the needs of older people in these areas.
David Behan, CQC chief executive said: "Those responsible for care in local areas need to work together quickly to address the number of avoidable emergency admissions to hospital.
"GPs, care homes, home care agencies, community health services and hospitals, with local commissioners, must plan effectively to make sure our older and more vulnerable people are cared for in the way they deserve.”
Behan has urged struggling providers to learn from their successful counterparts.
Avoidable conditions include diabetes, pneumonia, respiratory diseases, bone fractures, urinary infections, lower respiratory tract infections (both acute & chronic), pressure sores, pneumonitis, food and drink issues, intestinal infections.
