An Oxford professor is urging hospitals to adopt the city's pensioner-friendly care system to prevent elderly patients being maltreated on wards.

Sir John Grimley-Evans has been battling for better care for older people for 25 years, but claims money and egos are put before patients.

Instead of having separate units, the Oxford University Professor of Geratology claims they should be seen by specialist consultants just like anyone else.

His comments come after it was revealed this week that many pensioners are not looked after or are starved to death in their hospital beds. He believes many of the cases were caused because the elderly are not treated like other patients. "Geriatric services are all too often less well staffed, less well endowed with facilities and not necessarily in the right hospitals, so if you have something like a serious heart disease, you are not seen by a cardiologist," he said.

Sir John, who is also a consultant physician at the John Radcliffe, was instrumental in introducing the new strategy to Oxford in 1985. This means all elderly patients suffering from acute illnesses are referred to specialist consultants at the JR. Pensioner rehabilitation is offered at the Radcliffe Infirmary and long-term recuperation at the Churchill. There is also a specialist day hospital is also in operation at the infirmary. He said: "We have a specialist geriatric rehabilitation service, but if you are ill, whatever your age, you will now be seen in the same ward as everyone else with that problem.

"However, on every ward, there is a doctor with a special interest in old people.

"We were getting worried about tales of ageism around the country and all the doctors agreed to put the new system into practice." Now Sir John is calling for more hospitals to take on the scheme.

"Many think it is cheaper to have separate geriatric units, but it isn't in terms of quality care delivery. Also, there are still a lot of empire builders who will not work with other specialists, so consultants and geratologists will not work together."

Story date: Thursday 09 December

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