Forty Percent More Elderly By 2021

08/03/2005

We urgently need to find new ways of working to meet the needs of a growing population of older people, says a report published today.

Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust's Public Health annual report says that the proportion of elderly people in the Cotswolds and Stroud area is set to rise by 40 percent over the next 16 years.

Dr Hendrik Chapel, Director of Public Health and author of the report, says: "We need to review our services to ensure we are making best use of our resources and also to consider how we are going to meet the needs of this generation in the future."

The report highlights the fact that there are many services that support the majority of this population who are well and active, as well as those who are ill and frail.

It shows the crucial role that District Councils, voluntary services and community groups have in maintaining social networks and fitness levels as well as preventing future illness.

It particularly highlights the fact that most of these services are not provided by a single organisation but rely on a variety of different inter-organisational relationships, including partnership and joint working.

The report points out that there are many ways that we can be smarter by working together even more closely, and uses the well developed and popular library service operating in this area as an example.

"The issue of rurality, particularly in relation to transport and access to all services and opportunities for remaining healthy, is particularly important for older people," says Dr Chapel. "All organisations involved are working hard on this through the Local Strategic Partnerships in Cotswold and Stroud."

The report highlights that, in terms of health and social care provision, there are differences in the levels of individual services, but it is the totality of services that has to be considered.

In the Cotswolds, for example, there are many more beds, but other services for older people are less well-developed.

Dr Chapel says: "We are too reliant on inpatient services. We should develop alternatives that deliver treatment out of hospital. People should be helped to remain independent and stay in their own homes as long as possible."

Richard James, PCT Chief Executive, says: "The Board endorses Dr Chapel's report. We already provide many local services, including GP Practices, that have several branch surgeries in outlying villages and our community hospitals already provide many local services.

"Over the coming months, we will review further how we can move more services closer to people's home and how we can reduce our dependence on the use of hospital beds."