The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Elderly miss life-saving treatment
THOUSANDS OF elderly patients are needlessly dying because they are being denied treatment on the grounds of their age, a report has found.
Surgical treatments which can prolong life and improve living standards for older patients have been shown to decline as patients get older, the research suggests.
But as the population ages and people are living longer lives, doctors have a “moral duty” to care for older patients properly, the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) said.
It said surgeons should no longer look at a patient’s age to assume whether they are suitable for surgery. Instead, their overall health should be taken into consideration, according the report conducted by the RCS, Age UK and MHP Health Mandate.
It found that surgery rates decline for people as they grow older for a number of treatments including breast cancer operations, joint replacements, prostate cancer treatments and hernias.
While the incidence of breast cancer peaks in patients aged 85 and older, surgery rates decline sharply from the age of 70, the figures indicate. The number of patients who receive treatment for prostate cancer plummets after patients reach 70.
Michelle Mitchell, of Age UK, said “When it comes to people’s health, their date of birth actually tells you very little.
“A healthy living 80-year-old could run rings round someone many years younger who does not share the same good health.”
The report’s authors said doctors are looking at age to assess whether people are suitable for treatment, instead of their overall wellbeing and fitness. Discussions with patients about possible treatments could be “limited or ineffective”, they add.
Clinical factors could mean the risks of treatment outweigh the benefits or patients could decide to opt out of treatment.