§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment the Department of Health has made of the amount of acute and rehabilitative care of older people which was once provided in NHS facilities designated as "long stay" wards and which have now been closed; and [HL2876]
What plans the Department of Health has to address the current shortfall in the availability of acute and rehabilitative care for older people within NHS hospitals as a result of the closure of long-stay hospitals. [HL2877]
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonWe want to get the right services—whether in hospital or in the community—to the right people at the right time. We have asked health and local authorities to improve multidisciplinary assessment of older people and to develop a range of recuperation and rehabilitation services for older people. Good recuperation and rehabilitation and continuing care services benefit the whole health and social care system and are crucial to the efficient and effective use of hospitals. Sixty-five million pounds of the funding announced in March for tackling waiting lists will be allocated to support "whole systems" action to achieve sustained reductions in waiting lists. It will do this by building on the success of the new ways of working pioneered this winter and through targeted investment in primary, community, mental health and social services.