More elderly are dying after falls as care crisis deepens

More elderly are dying after falls as care crisis deepens Shortages of nurses and healthcare assistants in hospitals and care homes are blamed for a sharp rise in deaths

The number of Britons dying after suffering a fall is rising sharply, especially among the very old, raising fresh concern about the lack of social care and understaffing in hospitals and care homes.

Doctors are warning that while the trend is linked to the ageing population, the fact that the increase in deaths is outstripping the growth in numbers of people aged over 65 is a cause for alarm.

The UK has fewer doctors and nurses than many other comparable countries both in Europe and worldwide. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Britain comes 24th in a league table of 34 member countries in terms of the number of doctors per capita. Greece, Austria and Norway have the most; the three countries with the fewest are Turkey, Chile and Mexico. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, regularly points out that the NHS in England has more doctors and nurses than when the Conservatives came to power in 2010. That is true, although there are now fewer district nurses, mental health nurses and other types of health professionals. Continue reading... The Guardian