Health

Difficulties accessing GP practices leaving older people suffering in pain

Published

2 months ago

March 21, 2024

A SIGNIFICANT number of older people throughout Wales are facing difficulties when trying to access GP practices, leaving many individuals suffering in pain, living with deteriorating conditions and feeling worried and anxious.

That’s the key finding of a new report published today by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Access to GP Practices in Wales: Older People’s Experiences, which is based on evidence shared by over 900 older people living throughout Wales.

The Commissioner’s report reveals that changes to the way that GP services in Wales are accessed, which have accelerated a great deal in recent years, and the changing relationships between patients and their practices often make it difficult for older people to find suitable appointments with an appropriate clinician.

Of particular concern is the fact that these kinds of difficulties have resulted in some individuals withholding information about their health or symptoms with some clinicians, preferring to discuss certain matters only with their own doctor, something that presents a significant risk to people’s health.

Many older people also told the Commissioner that services often do not feel ‘joined-up’ and that communication between services can be poor, which has resulted in cases of patient information going missing, crucial prescriptions being delayed, and people being sent ‘from pillar to post’ when trying to resolve issues.

In addition to these issues, the Commissioner found that around two-thirds of older people who responded to her survey find it difficult make suitable appointments, or face issues when trying to contact or communicate with their GP practice, whether by telephone or online. Other issues highlighted included accessing services and information in a language of choice – a particular barrier for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic older people – and getting to surgeries via public transport.

Discussing the findings of her report, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Heléna Herklots CBE, said: “As we get older, accessing GP and other health services often becomes a more prominent part of our lives and these play a crucial role in supporting many older people to stay healthy, independent and safe.

“Older people often share concerns about the difficulties they experience when accessing GP practices with me and my team at engagement events, as well as through my Advice and Assistance service, and I wanted to examine these issues in more detail to ensure older people are not prevented from accessing a crucial part of the health service.

“The large number of responses to my survey demonstrates that these kinds of issues are affecting the lives of many older people throughout Wales, and I would like to thank everyone who got in touch for making their voices heard and providing so much evidence to support my calls for action.

“My report shows that alongside long-standing issues that will be familiar to us all – such as difficulties making appointments or getting through to practices on the phone – the changing nature of GP services and relationships between patients and their GP practices also appears to be creating barriers for older people in terms of arranging the right kinds of appointments or accessing an appropriate clinician.

“These kinds of difficulties are leaving many individuals suffering in pain, living with deteriorating conditions and feeling worried and anxious, something that is deeply concerning.”

The Commissioner’s report includes a series of recommendations for GP Practices, health boards, Welsh Government and other health bodies and organisations, which set out the action needed to improve older people’s experiences and tackle the barriers that make accessing GP practices more difficult.

This includes action focused on building relationships of trust between patients and their surgeries, removing practical barriers to access and improving communication, as well as ensuring there is sufficient investment to modernise systems and improve wider infrastructure.

The Commissioner added: “I am acutely aware of the significant pressures being faced by health services, including GP services, and this was also reflected in responses from many older people, who recognised that staff were doing the best they could under difficult circumstances.

“Much of the action I am calling for will deliver improvements at little or no cost, or is focused on ensuring that existing standards and frameworks – such as the Welsh Government’s Access Standards – are being met and that this is reflected in older people’s experiences.

“Delivering the action I am calling for will help to ensure that people can access the health services they need, when they need them, in a way that suits them, which will make a positive difference to the lives of many thousands of older people throughout Wales.

“As Commissioner, I will be monitoring the progress against this action, and will continue to encourage and support health services, GP practices, and other key organisations to reach out to and engage with older people throughout Wales in a meaningful way so that the voices of patients of all ages help to shape policy and practice.

“I also want to empower older people by helping them to better understand what they can expect in terms of access to GP practices and where people can find help and support if they experience issues or barriers, and will be soon be publishing a new guide to provide the information they need, which is being developed with support from older people.”

Health

Decades of failure and denial over tainted blood scandal revealed

Published

11 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Jon Coles

ON MONDAY evening (May 20), Rishi Sunak apologised on behalf of the British government to the victims of the contaminated blood scandal.

After a five-year public inquiry, the Prime Minister offered an “unequivocal” apology for the findings published in Sir Brian Langstaff’s report earlier on May 20.

The findings were damning.

They included the revelation that ministers, doctors and civil servants knew the risks of the blood products given to haemophiliacs and people needing blood transfusions.

Victims were “gaslit” by claims that the mass infection of those patients with HIV and hepatitis C was inadvertent, that screening started as soon as it could, and that no one could have stopped it sooner.

None of those things were true.

Under successive Labour and Conservative Governments, the Department of Health and HM Treasury fought against a public inquiry and the idea of paying compensation to those affected by being given tainted blood products.

Officials fobbed off ministers who tried to look into what had happened, complaining that they had too much sympathy for the victims.

When briefing documents for ministers got close to revealing the truth, civil servants doctored their content to misrepresent their authors’ findings.

While Mr Sunak apologised for the failures of the British state and Sir Kier Starmer for a “failure of politics”, the blame doesn’t rest only at Westminster’s door.

Welsh Government ministers are specifically mentioned for refusing to hold a public inquiry and not seeking advice specific to Wales. Instead, despite having responsibility for the NHS in Wales, they slavishly followed Westminster’s line.

Welsh Government ministers failed to examine the strength of the evidence UK ministers and officials relied upon or assess the evidence available in Wales.

Had they done so, they would have found key claims – that all infections were inadvertent and patients received the best possible treatments – were untrue and unfounded.

Only in 2017 did the Welsh Government change tack, when then-Health Minister Vaughan Gething wrote to his UK counterpart, Jeremy Hunt, to request a UK-wide public inquiry.

Ironically, only Theresa May’s political weakness following the 2017 General Election led the Westminster Government to order a public inquiry. Mrs May feared losing a Commons vote on the demand for one.

The worst elements of the scandal are clinical and institutional.

Clinicians, Department of Health officials, and others concealed the truth to avoid blame and liability.
The inquiry pointed to medical advice on the dangers of blood and plasma dating back 40 years and court rulings that showed other countries had started screening sooner.

Doctors claimed they hadn’t seen evidence of infection through those products even while treating people who had contracted AIDS from their treatment with them.

Documents disappeared, were “lost”, and patient records were deleted.

Leading clinicians withheld critical information from patients and their families.
Children with haemophilia were treated as guinea pigs.

The list of severe historic and continuing failings is almost unending.

The government’s easiest task is paying compensation. Addressing the culture of secrecy and institutional arrogance will be much harder.

For more on this story, see this week’s edition of The Pembrokeshire Herald.

Health

Bathing water samplers set for a busy season of water quality checks

Published

6 days ago

May 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

WHILE families across Wales start making plans for the summer, samplers from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are embarking on their annual programme of bathing water quality tests.

This year, there are 110 designated bathing waters which will be sampled multiple times between 15th May-30th September, in line with the UK Bathing Water Regulations. 109 of these are coastal waters, and one inland lake (Llyn Padarn).

Last month the Welsh Government announced that Nefyn Beach in Gwynedd had been added to the list of designations, following a successful application.

Bathing water samples are sent to NRW’s laboratory in Swansea, where they are tested for levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci (IE).

Results from a four-year rolling period then determine the classification for the next bathing water season; excellent, good, satisfactory or poor.

Last year, 98% of Wales’s designated bathing waters met stringent environmental standards, with 80 out of 109 meeting the ‘excellent’ criteria.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW said:

“More and more people are enjoying the benefits of open water swimming, and where better to take a dip than at one of the many fantastic bathing waters Wales has to offer.

“Our blue waters offer a wealth of recreation opportunities, providing a vital boost to Wales’ tourism sector and the health and well-being of our communities.

“Our teams continue to work hard to tackle the many sources of pollution which threaten our water quality, including from agriculture and storm overflows. Much progress is being made, and we are pressing for record levels of water company investment for the environment in the coming years to safeguard the future health of our waters.”

Prior to the start of the traditional bathing water season, NRW officers undertake a number of pre-season checks and samples. This includes checking to ensure permit conditions for nearby discharges are being complied with.

Issues or deteriorations flagged in last year’s results are investigated by local teams to identify any sources of pollution which may be contributing to high bacteria levels found in samples.

Information about where to find designated bathing waters, and the standard of bathing water is available on NRW’s website.

Visit the Adventure Smart website for information about swimming safely in open waters.

Community

Further pleas to save Anchorage Day Centre

Published

6 days ago

May 15, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PLEA by a concerned parent to keep Pembroke Dock’s Anchorage Day Centre open was heard at a full meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council.

The Anchorage Day Care Centre in Pembroke Dock has been a “safe and happy place” for adults with learning difficulties and additional needs for decades.

In more recent years it has expanded to support elderly dementia sufferers.

But now the centre is expected to close, with services instead being offered elsewhere in the county, including Haverfordwest and Milford Haven.

A series of engagement events have taken place at The Anchorage recently, outlining the reasons and the options in continued service.

One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “One young woman who attends ran out of the first meeting sobbing when she was told it was going to close. Another, at the second meeting, tried to address the meeting but was so choked up at the thought of not seeing her friends anymore she could hardly speak.”

In a submitted question heard at the May 9 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, concerned parent Peter Welsh asked: “Is the council aware of the huge impact the impending closure of the Anchorage Adult Day-care Centre in Pembroke Dock is already having to the health and mental wellbeing of my daughter and 20 other vulnerable adults with special needs and learning difficulties, who are unable to cope with changes to routine, or to process and understand what is happening to them?

“And would the council, therefore, please review its closure decision and retain the centre and the vital and invaluable service it provides not only to the individuals concerned but also to the parents?

“If not, what specific measures does the cabinet member have in place to support my daughter and these other individuals who need extra assistance to enable them to maintain their independence, value and allow their carers to have valuable respite from their caring responsibilities and what are the estimated costs for these substitute measures?”

Responding, Cabinet Member for Social Care & Safeguarding Cllr Tessa Hodgson said an engagement with service users, carers and families was made immediately after staff were informed about the potential closure following the council’s March budget setting.

Members were told two sessions were held with all concerned, with a list of alternative day opportunities in the county outlined, with opportunities to attend short sessions at the other centres being available so they “can fully explore which opportunity is best suited to their needs and wants”.

“All service users of the Anchorage will be offered alternative day centre arrangements in order to preserve their independence and also to support the caring needs of their families, these assessments are still taking place and are likely to continue to do so at least until the end of May.”

Cllr Hodgson said she was unable to provide estimated costs of the new arrangements until all the assessments were in place, hoping to update members at a future date.

An online e-petition, on the council’s own website has been launched calling for the Anchorage to stay open.