Issued 1st March 2001

ARE WILTSHIRE'S ELDERLY GETTING THE WORST DEAL IN THE COUNTRY?
NURSING HOME LEADERS ASK FOR CHANGES AT THE TOP TO GET THE COUNTY
OUT OF ITS PERPETUAL CRISIS

For the third time over the past year the UK's nursing home leaders have highlighted Wiltshire as the area where older people are getting possibly the worst deal in the country from their social services department.

With between 60 and 80 Wiltshire patients stuck in acute hospital beds at any one time because there are no funds available to transfer them to nursing or residential homes, the Registered Nursing Home Association (RNHA) claims that the situation is now virtually out of control.

According to the association, the perpetual financial crisis faced by Wiltshire County Council's social services department has created a vicious circle in which a lack of funds is not only denying patients the type of care they need but has also forced the closure of so many nursing home beds that, even if more money was found, the beds might not even be available in future.

Commented RNHA chief executive officer, Frank Ursell: "We now witness the spectacle of the local health authority having to bale out the social services department to the tune of nearly ?700,000, and one of the county's hospital trusts having to purchase nursing and residential beds themselves, even though their own resources are stretched to the limit. Just how long will this saga go on?"

He added: "It is also worrying to see that Swindon Borough Council has cut back on the numbers of placements it is funding in nursing and residential care."

The RNHA wants an independent inquiry into what it calls 'the Wiltshire elderly care debacle', stressing that it is one of the most vulnerable sections of the population who are the real losers.

Said Mr Ursell: "We are seriously beginning to ask whether those currently in charge of the county's social services are capable of sorting the mess out. Perhaps the time has come for others to step in and see whether they can make a better job of it. One thing is for certain - the older people of Wiltshire deserve a better deal than they are getting."

The RNHA acknowledges that the amount of money available for local authorities to spend on services is also dependent on the policies of central government and that the type of problems faced by Wiltshire County Council are not unique. But it points out that Wiltshire appears to be making particularly heavy weather of its responsibilities for the care of elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people.

END

For further information please contact: Frank Ursell, Chief Executive Officer, Registered Nursing Home Association (Tel: 0121-454 2511 or mobile 07785 227000)