The elderly: age old problem

The well-being of elderly patients could be put at risk by the government's new care plans, a study published today claims.

According to researchers at University College London, the new system of regulation for nursing homes contains too many compromises to ensure it protects elderly patients.

The lack of national minimum staffing levels should be cause for alarm, according to the research published in Friday's British Medical Journal.

"Since the mid-1980s the number of places in nursing homes in England has increased sevenfold but the number of inspectors has only tripled,'' wrote Professor Allyson Pollock of UCL. "Furthermore, little attention has been paid to what structures and mechanisms will be required to ensure high quality care and accountability."

With more than half of all nursing homes being run by the private sector, the report says it is vital that staffing and accountability remain primary concerns for government.

"If new regulations are to protect patients, they must be strengthened to ensure that frail and vulnerable elderly people are not at increased risk of neglect and poor quality care,'' the report said.