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Daily digest July 15 2015

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Daily digest

Poor hospital care robs older people of their dignity

A million older hospital patients a year are robbed of their dignity and must settle for poor care that often leaves them hungry, according to a report.

Among those who find it difficult to eat independently, a third complain of not getting enough help – equivalent to 1.3 million people a year, 640,000 of whom are aged 65 and over, the Daily Express has reported.

Poor care coupled with a lack of respect is more likely to be experienced by older women, and those over 80, the research by the London School of Economics found.

Read more on the Express website

More than 30,000 people with autism and learning disabilities 'under the chemical cosh'

More than 30,000 people with learning disabilities and autism are being wrongly prescribed dangerous drugs which act as a ‘chemical cosh’.

As reported in the Daily Telegraph, health officials have promised urgent action after research uncovered thousands of vulnerable people being put on medication that can shorten lives.

The national audit of prescribing was ordered followed the scandal of Winterbourne View, where people with learning disabilities were tortured and forcibly sedated.

Read more on The Telegraph website

Sedentary lifestyle increases cancer risk for women

Spending more leisure time sitting down increases the risk of cancers of the breast, ovaries and bone marrow in women, scientists have found.

More time sitting down increased the chance of cancer by 10% in women – but did not affect men, the Daily Mail has reported.

Researchers for the American Cancer Society said: ‘Longer leisure time spent sitting was associated with a higher risk of total cancer risk in women, and specifically with multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer), breast cancer, and ovarian cancers.’

Read more on the Mail Online website

Cuts in acute psychiatric care may have gone too far, inquiry finds

Cuts to the number of acute hospital beds for adults needing psychiatric care in England may have gone too far, according to an independent inquiry led by a former NHS boss.

Significant numbers of people are having to travel long distances for care, while about three patients per ward – 16% nationally – are clinically well enough to be discharged but face a lack of suitable housing or supported accommodation, it says.

As reported in The Guardian, Lord Crisp, who was chief executive of the NHS and permanent secretary at the Department of Health from 2000-06, said the inquiry had heard awful stories of people having to be moved miles from their homes.

Read more on The Guardian website