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Issued 21st February 2002

POLL RESULT ON FREE LONG-TERM CARE FOR THE ELDERLY MARKS START OF CAMPAIGN FOR A FAIR DEAL: RNHA CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO SORT OUT THE MESS

After last night's overwhelming vote for free long-term care for the elderly in a television poll on the nation's health priorities, the Registered Nursing Home Association (RNHA) said the government should now match its election promises with hard cash to boost the 'cinderella' services.

The RNHA believes the poll highlights widespread concern about the level of funding to support vulnerable people in their old age.

As many people voted for free long-term care for the elderly as for all of the other priorities in the top five combined, which themselves were whittled down from an initial twelve. Over twice as many votes were cast for elderly care as for any other single priority.
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According to the RNHA, around an extra ?2 billion a year of public investment would be needed to provide free care to older people, including those who need to be looked after in a nursing home or residential care home.

The association claims that the Prime Minister's response in last night's programme, when he claimed that more was already being done to expand domiciliary care, fails to address the fact that for many thousands of people, their frailty and ill health is such that 'round the clock' care in the environment of a well run nursing home or residential care home could be the only realistic option.

Commented RNHA chief executive officer Frank Ursell: "The government has been ingenuously burying its head in the sand on elderly care since it was first elected in 1997. Last night's poll reflects this. A government elected on a platform to improve the nation's health care cannot continue to ignore the specific needs of older people."

He added: "The unholy mess that the health care system has been allowed to sink into was best summed up on last night's programme by an NHS consultant from Ipswich, who explained that long trolley waits in A&E departments were due to a shortage of beds on the wards, which were filled by patients waiting to be discharged to nursing homes, which have been closing at an accelerating rate because of a lack of funding."

Following the poll, the RNHA intends to join with other organisations to press the government for a better deal for older people.

Said Mr Ursell: "I believe this marks the start of a major national campaign to jolt the government out of its complacency. The past twenty four hours have shown how strongly ordinary people feel. They want the reassurance of knowing that, if they need it, they will be able to receive nursing home and residential care in their old age."

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For further information and comment, please contact:

Frank Ursell, Chief Executive Officer, Registered Nursing Home Association
Tel: 0121-454 2511 or mobile 07785 227000