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Policy statements 
Briefings 
Consultation responses 
Reports 
Articles

In this section you will find information on how Help the Aged is working to campaign for better health services for older people in the UK.

This section focuses on those services provided by the National Health Service including acute and primary care services.
 
Information about the Charity's work to promote preventative services, and its response to the 2004 White Paper 'Choosing Health', can be found in the separate Healthy Ageing section.

Information about our international work on health and older people can be found in the HIV/AIDS section

Policy statements

Meeting care needs in the community (October 07)

Help the Aged policy statement on meeting care needs in the community through health services and local authorities; and their role in actively promoting the increased independence and quality of life in older age.

Hospital and Internediate Care (September 2004)

Help the Aged policy statement on hospitals and intermediate care, including evidence on delayed transfers of care and the need for higher hospital services standards for older people.

End of life (December 2002)

Help the Aged policy statement on control, autonomy and choice in later life and end of life.

Briefings

End of Life Care Strategy (July 2008)

Short Briefing on the Government's End of Life Care Strategy and Help the Aged's response.

Health and Social Care Bill (April 2008)

Parliamentary briefing on the Health and Social Care Bill at the Committee Stages to the House of Lords.

NHS and the elderly mentally ill (January 2008)

A briefing for MPs for the January adjournement debate on the NHS and Elderly Mentally Ill.

Health and Social Care Bill, Second Reading (November 2007)

A briefing for MPs on the second reading of the Health adn Social Care Bill.

End of Life (July 2005)

A briefing for peers speaking in the House of Lords debate on palliative care.

Depression (February 2005)

A briefing on findings about depression and older people, including the prevalence and risk of depression among older people, the evaluation of current policy, and the identification of gaps in evidence and areas of further work.

Consultation responses

NHS Next Stage Review (July 2008)

The Help the Aged submission produced in close collaboration with members of the British Geriatric Society and represents a summary of our views on the extent to which the NHS Next Stage Review appears to be responding to the needs of older people.

Draft UK Vision Strategy (June 2008)

The Help the Aged response to the UK Vision Strategy, a VISION2020 UK initiative, led by RNIB, to develop a unified plan for action on all issues relating to sight loss and eye health, across the four countries of the UK.

Social Value Judgements (March 2008)

Principles for the development of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence(NICE) guidance.

Health Inequalities (January 2008)

Inquiry by the Health Select Committee into health inequalities.

NHS Next Stage Review (January 2008)

The Help the Aged consultation response, setting out our vision for how the NHS should accommodate the needs of an ageing population.

Regulations for Local Involvement Networks (LINks) (December 2007)

Commissioning for Health and Well-being (April 2007)

A New Outcomes Framework for Performance Assessment of Adult Social Care (October 2006)

National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care in England (September 2006)

Response to the Government's proposals for Continuing care and NHS-Funded Care.

Your Health, Your Care, Your Say (November 2005)

Help the Aged response to the three consultation questions posed by the Department of Health concerning the new White Paper.

Equal dignity and worth? (2005)

Response to the Healthcare Commission on older people, human rights and the healthcare system.

Dental charge regulations (September 2005)

Help the Aged response to the new NHS dental charges proposed for 2006.

Assessment for improvement (February 2005)

Response to the Healthcare Commission consultation on future healthcare assessment, the integration of human rights and equality legislation, and the impact on local communities.

Health Select Committee - Continuing Care (February 2005)

Submission to the Health Select Committee inquiry into NHS Continuing Care, including eligibility requirements, information, and a recommendation for free personal care.

Learning From Complaints Consultation on Changes to the Social Services Complaints Procedure for Adults (January 2005)

Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill (September 2004)

Submission to the House of Lords Select Committee on assisted dying, discussing end of life care and the support to allow older people to make decisions to maintain control and dignity in later life.

New Vision for Adult Social Care The Help the Aged Response (June 2004)

Choosing Health: A consultation on action to improve people’s health (May 2004)

Delegation of charging powers (March 2004)

Response to the Department of Health consultation guidance on the use of delegation of charging powers, the risks associated with blurring health care and social care, and the distinctions between the two.

Securing Good Health for the Whole Population The Help the Aged Response (November 2003

A Vision for Pharmacy in the New NHS (October 2003)

Proposed Amendments to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 (October 2003)

Setting Patients Free (August 2003)

Setting the NHS Free (July 2003)

Patient’s Forums: Consultation on the Draft Regulations (July 2003)

Draft Supplementary Guidance on NHS Funded Nursing Care (January 2003)

NSF for Older People: Age Discrimination Benchmarking (January 2003)

Protecting Patient Confidentiality (January 2003)

Amendments to Health Act Partnership Regulations (January 2003)

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health Regulations (November 2002)

Overseas treatment (August 2002)

Help the Aged response to the consultation on the role of the NHS in reducing waiting times, selecting patients, monitoring and assuring quality of care by treating patients overseas.

The Constitution of the RPSGB Council (August 2002)

Draft methodology for clinical governance reviews of primary care trusts (December 2001)

Tackling health inequalities (November 2001)

Response to the consultation on health inequalities, tackling heart disease and cancer, improving NHS primary care services and helping disadvantaged communities.

Involving Patients and the Public in Healthcare: A Discussion Document (October 2001)

Modernising Regulation in the Health Professions (September 2001)

The Single Assessment Process: Guidance on Local Implementation (September 2001)

Shifting the Balance of Power within the NHS: Securing Delivery (September 2001)

Draft Guidance To Implement Free Nursing Care (August 2001)

NHS Performance Indicators (August 2001)

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Reports

The Challenge of Dignity in Care (September 2007)

This report is Help the Aged's contribution to what we hope will be a determined and sustained drive to raise standards of care and behaviour. Itis our own Dignity Challenge.

Listening to Older People: Opening the door for Older People to Explore End of Life Issues (April 2006)

This report describes findings from a collaborative venture between Help the Aged and a team of researchers from the Universities of Sheffield and Nottingham to run four listening events around the UK. These aimed to offer older people the opportunity to express their views about the end of life, while also supporting them with advice and information to help meet their concerns. Foreword by Professor Ian Philp.

Planning for Choice in End-of-life Care: Educational guide (March 2006)

This guide was produced following a series of listening events and focus groups with older people in the subject of end of life care. The guide was revised in response to participants’ comments and the issues they raised. It has been designed to be read and discussed in small groups to raise awareness about advance care planning amongst older people.

Best Foot Forward: Older People and Footcare (August 2005)

This report summarises key findings from research we commissioned to University of Plymouth in conjunction with University College Northampton, to investigate the claims that many older people’s needs are currently unmet by NHS podiatry services and explore new ways to meet these needs.

The Help the Aged report 'Dying in Older Age' (2005) is available from the Help the Aged website. This is a summary of the full report, 'End of Life Care' (2005), published by the Policy Press .

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Articles

Decision on Alzheimer's drugs funding provokes fury - July 2006

Older people and carers affected by Alzheimer's disease have reacted with anger and bewilderment at a decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) not to fund drug treatments for people in the early or late stages of the disease in England or Wales. (Policy Update)

Government report prioritises dignity in future plans for older people - May 2006

The Department of Health has set out its plans in the next phase of the ten-year National Service Framework for Older People. The report sets out the priorities for the next five years, grouping them under three main headings: dignity in care, joined-up care, and healthy ageing. (Policy Update)

New dental charging system begins in April - March 2006

On 1 April 2006 a new system of NHS dental charges comes into force, designed to replace the confusing system of dental charges. (Policy Update)

Improvements in NHS dental services deemed vital for older people - January 2006

A new report published by the British Society of Gerontology has demonstrated the need to improve NHS dental services to provide care for an ageing population. (Policy Update)

Guidelines on NHS treatment to rule out age discrimination - January 2006

National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence’s (NICE) laid down a set of principles in its final report on the final report on social values judgement that should help to ensure that it does not discriminate against older people. (Policy Update)

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