Big cats saved from circus crate misery
ALMOST two million elderly patients are struggling with a hospital transport service which forces them to travel alone and leaves them stranded for hours unable to get home.
Despite being the main users of the NHS, 1.6 million pensioners struggle to get to medical appointments.
The impact of long and difficult journeys, often when people have mobility problems or are suffering the after-effect of treatments such as chemotherapy, takes a further toll on their physical and mental health, key research shows.
A fifth of pensioners who attended a hospital appointment in the past year, over one million people, reported feeling worse afterwards because of the stress involved in the journey, according to Age UK.
Anxious
A similar percentage said the journey makes them or a loved one feel anxious, with 26 per cent spending the majority of the day travelling there and back, it found.
One in 10, nearly 600,000 people, have been late for appointments and six per cent, over 350,000, have had to cancel appointments because of problems with the journey.
And 48 per cent of the 65-plus and 80-plus age groups who attended at least one hospital appointment in the past year do not ask friends or family for help because they worry about being an inconvenience.
The difficulties and impact that poor and inaccessible patient transport services have on millions of older people is highlighted in a study by Age UK, ahead of the Government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy, which is set to be published next month.
The charity warns that numbers are likely to rise as the population ages placing further financial pressures on the NHS due to missed appointments and worsening health conditions.
It is now calling on the Government to conduct an urgent review of transport services to ensure every hospital journey for an older person is comfortable, affordable, keeps stress and anxiety to a minimum, and gets them to and from hospital TV wildlife presenter Chris Packham yesterday hailed the rescue of five circus tigers.
The big cats were given up by a Spanish travelling circus after years living in tiny cages.
After vet care at Animal Advocacy and Protection’s sanctuary in Spain, they made their last road journey.
The 1,300-mile trek took them to their new home – the Isle of Wight Zoo.
Chris saw them settling in. He said: “Their compounds have got nice big pools which they love. We released one, a big old male called Mondo, who sniffed the air and in good time. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “These figures show that too many older people are finding it difficult and often physically painful getting to and from hospital.
“If the NHS is to be fit for the purpose of helping our ageing population it’s time to give it the priority it went for a swim. Then he sat in the pond lolling about. “In his 13 years he has never done that. I looked at that tiger’s face and it almost brought a tear to my eyes. I thought I have made a tiger happy. Job done.” Chris added: “The circus thing has got to end. These tigers have lived in cramped crates. This is 21st century Europe but Spain, France and Italy allow the most heinous treatment of these animals.” The zoo, part of the Wildheart Trust founded by Packham’s partner Charlotte Corney, faces a £60,000 a year bill to keep the tigers. Donate at justgiving.com/ wildheartfoundation.