Healthcare News

Costly NHS Car Parks 'Cause Stress"

PRESS ASSOCIATION 10TH MARCH 2010

Crowded and expensive NHS hospital car parks make visits more stressful for half of all users, according to a new report. Problems finding a space, cost and battling confusing payment systems are among the problems facing hospital visitors, consumer watchdog Which? said. A survey found 67% of people who had used an NHS hospital car park in the last two years thought charges were too expensive.

More than half of visitors (52%) had problems finding a space and a third (33%) had to queue or wait to park. Once they had found a space, 33% faced further difficulty trying to pay the charges. The poll found 70% of people had experienced a problem with parking and 49% said the difficulties made their visit more stressful.

Previous figures have shown that some hospitals make millions of pounds in annual profits from car park fees. Which? conducted the survey as part of a response to the Department of Health's consultation on NHS car parking.

Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: "It's outrageous that using an NHS hospital car park is such a problematic experience for so many people. Visiting hospital is stressful enough and people don't need the added burden of battling with the parking system.

"Now we know what people want, the Government must take steps to fix the system and ensure all hospital car parks have sufficient capacity, offer fair prices and have user-friendly ways to pay."

Which? is calling for a "cost-covering" approach for NHS car parks to prevent the hospital either making a profit or having to use its budget to fund parking.

Source: uk.news.yahoo.com 11.03.10

Scrap default retirement age and age limits on insurance

Scrap default retirement age and age limits on insurance The Age Concern and Help the Aged pre-election manifesto is challenging all political parties to commit to scrapping forced retirement legislation. The call comes as new research by the charity shows the use of mandatory retirement ages soared during the recession, with over 100,000 people forced to retire on or after turning 65. Meanwhile the countdown to forced retirement is now on for a quarter of a million more workers in their 60s.

The issue tops the bill of key manifesto challenges that include calls for radical reform of care in old age. The paper, Our Strength is Our Number, covers six critical issues for later life: respect; support; money; health; participation and ageing around the world.

The Charity is challenging all political parties to commit to:

Equal respect

• end forced retirement by scrapping the Default Retirement Age
• stop unwarranted age limits on insurance
• outlaw age discrimination in the NHS and social care by 2012 Support to be independent
• radical reform of the care and support system
• include social care in safeguards for health-related spending

Source: www.ageconcern.org.uk

Speed later retirement timetable in response to fiscal and social changes

The state pension age should be raised faster and further than currently planned to fund higher state pensions, reduce public debt and reflect the population trend of longer, healthier lives according to a new report, Working longer, living better: from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

While the government has already legislated for the state pension age to rise from 65 in 2020 to 66 by 2026, 67 by 2036 and 68 by 2046, there is a fundamental question as to whether this goes far enough, particularly given the sharp rise in UK public debt. The report suggests that the government needs to implement a phased increase to 70 by 2046.

The report also identifies a wider programme of change that requires government, employers and employees to embrace new approaches to the delivery of health, social care and adult skills. This would include scrapping the increasingly anachronistic default retirement age for employees.

Jon Sibson of PwC says, "While the Government has responsibility for changing the legislation they must also encourage a change in attitudes and behaviours among individuals and employers. The default retirement age should be abolished and public services and policies reshaped to promote extended working life. There will also need to be policies focused on employment support and the right non-pension benefits.”

The retirement age in the future affects how life, income protection, critical illness and personal accident policies are arranged now.

Source: Price Waterhouse Coopers

The Average Household Would Run Out Of Money In 14 Days If A Wage Earner Died

24/02/2010
By Jason Theodorou

One in four Britons could access only £100 of disposable cash within a week if they lost their income due to death or a critical illness.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of British households have no critical illness cover or life insurance, and one in seven (16%) would sell their TV to get their hands on cash if they fell ill.

New research from Aviva has shown that the average British household may only have enough cash to cover bills for 14 days if they or their partner fell critically ill or died. One in four British households say they could only access £100 without further borrowing.

The research shows that without further borrowing, the average British household could get their hands on only £914 of disposable cash, less than two weeks of the average weekly household expenditure of £471. This is less than 1% of the average Aviva critical illness payout of £78,707.

The research shows that, should the worst happen, Britons are drastically under-insured with only 37% of households covered by life insurance or critical illness cover. Should they have to raise alternative income, one in five Britons would be willing to sell their home, while a third would give up their car.

However, others say they would sell their TV (14%), the home computer (13%) or even their pet (6%) to raise cash - possibly indicating the extent to which people underestimate the financial impact of a critical illness or death.

A full 17% of Britons see it as the Government's responsibility to cover any income loss due to a critical illness or death, and 9% would expect an employer to fill the gap. Individuals could expect a maximum of £95.15 a week from the Government Employment and Support allowance.

Louise Colley, head of protection for Aviva, said: "At Aviva we understand the huge impact that a critical illness or death can have on a family, both emotionally and financially.

"Money worries are the last thing a family would need at such a distressing time, so we would encourage everyone to take the time to consider life and critical illness cover to make sure they have adequate protection in place".

Source: www.freshbusinessthinking.com

Hospital wards break world health 'noise limits'

By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News Hospital wards across the NHS are breaking recommended noise limits, disturbing patients' sleep, wellbeing and recovery, experts say.
Two separate studies found the din of chattering visitors and loud mobile phones pushed noise levels well over recommended limits. The World Health Organisation says patients should not be exposed to noise above 35 decibels or a loud whisper. But the UK researchers frequently recorded levels of 60dB to 90bB.
Researchers at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, found noise levels on an average general medical ward exceeded 60dB most of the time, even at night. At the Newcastle teaching hospital, nurses recorded levels averaging in the mid-40s and peaking at nearly 100dB - as loud as a lawnmower. Lead author Annette Richardson, a nurse consultant in critical care at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Hospitals can be very noisy places. "Dropping a stainless steel bowl creates 108 dBs, which is more than the 100 dBs from a nearby car horn or chainsaw."

Ringtones and relatives
But it was mobile phones that were the real bugbear, as well as noisy visitors. Both research teams looked at whether adopting simple measures could reduce noise levels.They asked staff to make a number of changes, including wearing soft soled shoes, switching mobile phones on to vibrate rather than ring and turning alarms on to "night mode" from the evening until the morning. Quiet closing bins were also deployed and staff were encouraged to restrict visitors to designated times and keep their own noise to a minimum when possible.

These measures in Newcastle reduced peak noise levels by around 20%, bringing them well below the 80dB threshold at which hearing can be damaged over time, the Journal of Clinical Nursing reports. And in Taunton, the time that noise levels breached 60dB at night fell from 75% to 59%. Patients also said they felt more rested and had better quality sleep. Michael Summers of the Patients Association said: "It is bad enough when you are recovering from an illness in hospital. You at least expect some privacy and quiet. "If everyone made a concerted effort - that applies to patients and staff - it could reduce noise levels and make wards more peaceful places." He said ward managers should look at which simple measures could be taken to limit unnecessary noise. Dr Anna Hutchings led the Taunton research which will soon be presented at a British Thoracic Society meeting. She said hospitals might think about introducing quiet zones, similar to those found on trains, and putting up posters to remind people to switch their mobiles to quiet settings. "Mobile phones came up time and again as an issue. "I don't think we could ask people not to bring them into hospitals, but we could think about how and where they are used." Data from health regulator the Care Quality Commission show over the past few years nearly 40% of patients have been concerned about noise at night from other patients and around 20% from staff.

Source: BBC Health News

Call for improved hospital stays

The NHS still has a long way to go to ensure hospital stays are as good as they should be, the regulator says. The Care Quality Commission poll of more than 72,000 people showed that 93% of patients in England rated care as good, very good or excellent overall.But the survey also revealed they continue to be frustrated by the so-called softer aspects of care such as food, noise and delays.
The regulator said these problems had dogged the NHS for the past few years. Nearly one in five said they were not getting enough help eating meals - the same proportion as when the annual patient survey started in 2002. Some 14% rated food as poor, while more than a third said they were bothered by noise at night.
On answering call buttons, 15% said they had to wait longer than five minutes and 2% said it was not answered at all. Delays were also noted in discharge, mainly because of problems getting hold of medicines, and many said they were not being involved enough in decisions about their care. The problems meant that nearly one in 10 people said they had wanted to complain about their care. CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower said: "Patients are clearly highlighting some persistent problems. "It is a great shame that the NHS has not managed to get a stronger grip on these issues when patients have been highlighting them for so long."

Progress

But she said staff should be praised for the progress that has been made in other areas. As well as a slight year-on-year rise in overall care, patients also reported improvements in infection prevention. Some 95% described their room or wards as clean and three quarters said as far as they were aware doctors and nurses always washed their hands between touching patients. The poll also illustrated the challenge facing the health service over mixed sex accommodation. In January, Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced a six-month intensive drive to "all but eliminate" the problem. But one in 10 patients told the regulator that they had to share sleeping areas with someone from the opposite sex. Health Minister Ann Keen said the high overall rating was a "testament to the hard work and dedication" of staff. But she added: "We will be focussing on those areas where there is still more to do and ensuring that patients experience a high quality of service across all aspects of healthcare." But Michelle Mitchell, of the newlymerged Age Concern and Help the Aged charity, said the lack of help eating was of particular concern. "Until nutrition is given top priority in every ward and every care setting older people will continue to be needlessly malnourished, putting their health at risk."

Source: BBC Health News. The Care Quality Commission poll: 13 May 2009

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