Responding to a National Confidential Enquiry report into death after operations among older people, NHS Confederation deputy policy director Jo Webber emphasised that very ill, elderly patients need high quality care Responding to the confidential enquiry's report, "An Age Old Problem," NHS Confederation deputy policy director Jo Webber said:
"Care of seriously ill over-85 year olds who often need operations is a complex area. The age of those involved means that it is more important than ever that they receive high quality care to manage the higher risks associated with their treatment appropriately.
"There is absolutely no excuse for poor care, regardless of the age of the person involved. The study suggests that there is more work to do on getting the basics like pain management right. Getting specialist teams in place can be difficult at short notice but it is clear that we need to do better.
"Where the best care is offered - and there are many good examples - these things will be in place, backed by a culture of learning and continuous improvement. But the NHS will want to get this right every time for every patient. It is clear that we are not quite there yet and this is an important report to learn from."
Source:
NHS Confederation
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207916.php
