BGS, RCPE and RCPL call on Lord Darzi to prioritise older people’s care
Today BGS has joined forces with the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in a letter urging Lord Ara Darzi to focus on older people’s health and social care in his upcoming independent investigation.
The three organisations have welcomed Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS but highlighted that the health service cannot be viewed in isolation – the challenges facing the social care sector are intrinsically linked with healthcare provision and must be included within the review. We have also encouraged Lord Darzi to focus on implementing a system-level, evidence-based approach to the care of older people living with frailty which could transform service delivery across the NHS. The three organisations have also emphasised the importance of a sustainable, multidisciplinary workforce with the skills needed to care for an ageing population with increasingly complex needs.
Professor Adam Gordon MBE, President of the British Geriatrics Society, said:
We are delighted to see the new Government hit the ground running and appoint former Health Minister Lord Darzi to conduct a thorough review of the NHS. We look forward to working with Lord Darzi in the coming months to ensure that the review delivers an improved and sustainable NHS for older people and everyone who needs it.”