20.12.12
Age discrimination in NHS is barrier to cancer treatment
Ageism in the NHS is stopping some older cancer patients from receiving the best treatment, a new report suggests.
Macmillan Cancer Support and ICM surveyed oncologists, cancer clinical nurse specialists and GPs, and found that 48% think stereotypes and assumptions about older people can result in some of them not getting the best treatment.
Of those surveyed, 45% have dealt with a cancer patient who was refused treatment on the basis of age and 67% have heard health professionals speak to older patients in condescending or dismissive way.
Macmillan Cancer Support has launched a new report outlining how health and social care organisations must improve their care, summarising the findings of five pilot projects set up in England with Age UK and the Department of Health.
Trusts should adopt assessment methods that test patients’ overall physical and mental wellbeing, provide staff with specialist training in elderly care to reduce age discrimination and establish strong links with the voluntary sector, social services and teams specializing in dementia, falls and continence, the report recommends.
Ciarán Devane, chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Health professionals’ concerns about the prevalence of age discrimination in cancer care mustn’t be ignored.
“Unless staff are given the time and training to carry out a proper assessment of a patient’s overall physical and mental wellbeing, some patients will be unfairly written-off as “too old” for treatment. The right practical support, whether it’s transport or help with caring responsibilities must also be put in place so older people needing treatment can actually take it up.
“The number of older people (aged 65 and over) living with cancer in the UK is set to rocket in the next 20 years from 1.3 million to 4.1 million. Unless the barriers to timely treatment are tackled now, many older people could die unnecessarily from cancer and services will become unaffordable.”
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive & general secretary of the RCN said: “Macmillan’s work shows that we still have a lot of work to do to change attitudes towards older people. Nurses who work with cancer patients will be very sad to learn that the great advances which have been made in treating cancer in recent years are not always being offered to all the patients who could benefit, simply on the grounds of age.
“More and more people are beating cancer, and living well. Cancer Nurse Specialists have a crucial role in ensuring treatment is focused on supporting the person and their family as a whole. At a time when nurse specialist roles and access to services are being reviewed, it is important that we do not allow ageism to creep into those decision making processes and by demonstrating that we are listening to older people about their needs when dealing with cancer.”
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