Over 65s miss out on mental health care

The Healthcare Commission has examined six mental health trusts and found that four of these based decisions on mental healthcare "as much on age as clinical need."

The restricted access to mental healthcare, on the part of those over 65 means that they are missing out on essential alcohol support services and psychological therapies and treatments.

Often older people were not being referred to the necessary mental health services by their doctor and treatment was not accessed on grounds of expense, according the Daily Telegraph. Indeed, 40 per cent of the over 65s visiting their GP probably had some kind of mental health problem.

The commission's chief executive Anna Walker said: "It is truly unacceptable that out of hours and crisis services were often not available to older people. There needs to be a fundamental shift towards providing care based on a person's clinical need rather than their age."

Ms Walker further said that over 25 per cent of hospital admissions for mental health inpatient care were for the over 65s so this matter necessitated "urgent attention".

It is up to NHS trusts to make improvements to this dire situation and it is expected that they will do so said the Minister for Care Services Phil Hope.

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