The Health Service Ombudsman, Ann Abraham, reports that elderly patients are neglected, poorly treated and marginalised. The comments follow a decade of investigation into treatment of elderly patients.
"The findings of my investigations reveal an attitude – both personal and institutional – which fails to recognise the humanity and individuality of the people concerned and to respond to them with sensitivity, compassion and professionalism," Abraham said.
This is not because of the illness itself or a shortage of money and resources but "arose from the dismissive attitude of staff, a disregard for process and procedure and an apparent indifference of NHS staff to deplorable standards of care".
The damning report uncovers discriminatory attitudes towards the elderly. It comes as the service is seeking £20 billion of cuts including frontline job losses.
Ministers stressed that changes were already in place to help tackle some of the issues raised.
Care service minister Paul Burstow said: ""This report exposes the urgent need to update our NHS. We need a culture where poor practice is challenged and quality is the watchword. The dignity of frail older people should never be sidelined.
"Leadership on the frontline is key to driving out poor practice. The Coalition's plans will free frontline staff to focus on what matters most to patients and carers. Increased transparency will bring greater accountability in the NHS."
He added that new spot inspections by nurses would cast a light on poor practice.
However, some commentators said the sheer size of the service made accountability difficult to deliver. The NHS is the largest employer in Europe, with 1.3 million staff. The scale of this monolithic organisation, commented The Independent’s health editor Jeremy Laurance, makes it "simply incapable of generating the sense of ownership necessary for staff to take responsibility for the patients in their care".
The report was unveiled as Saga revealed an analysis on the lives of Britain’s 21 million over-50s had uncovered a bleak picture. The quality of life for the over-50s is worsening as they are suffering falling income, rising inflation and higher unemployment. They report being increasingly worried about the cost of living and are cutting back on life's pleasures, such as eating out and holidays. Hardest hit are 50-59 year olds, and the lower socioeconomic groups across all over-50 age bands are suffering disproportionately.
"People sometimes paint the older generation as ‘the lucky ones’ with fewer problems than others. The evidence does not support this view", said Ros Altmann, director-general of Saga, the over-50s group.
"Some are fine, but the majority are currently struggling and the worst affected are just short of retirement. Their pensions will not deliver the income they were expecting, their savings income has evaporated and more are losing their jobs. Once out of work, they find it hard to get back in. In short, their lives may never recover, but their plight has so far been ignored by policymakers."
The report finds that long-term unemployment has hit the over-50s hardest, with 43% on the dole for more than a year, compared to 27% of 18-24 year-olds.
