29.10.10
Elderly account for higher use of NHS resources year on year, according to report
A report by the NHS Information Centre has found that the amount of NHS resources being used by the elderly is increasing year on year.
Data from the report showed that hospital stays for the elderly have increased by two thirds over ten years.
NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: “This report gives an insight into the changing demands placed on England’s hospitals, which are getting busier every year.
“It is clear that the effects of England’s ageing population are being felt in secondary care – with a greater number of older people passing through NHS hospital doors each year and the average age of a patient also increasing.
“The figures also show that while more and more older people are being admitted to hospital, the average time they spend as an inpatient is falling.”
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