Getting Off Lightly Or Feeling the Pinch?
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Getting off Lightly or Feeling the Pinch? A Human Rights and Equality Impact Assessment of the Public Spending Cuts on Older Women in Coventry A Joint Report by the Centre for Human Rights in Practice, University of Warwick and Coventry Women’s Voices Executive Summary By Mary-Ann Stephenson with James Harrison and Ann Stewart July 2012 1. Introduction Nationally 45% of NHS expenditure is on older people,6 and women form the majority of this group, nationally and in Coventry. 7 This is a summary of the key findings of the human rights and equality impact assessment (HREIA) carried out by the Centre for The cuts and changes include: Human Rights in Practice at the University of Warwick (CHRIP) and • University Hospital in Walsgrave and Rugby St Cross face Coventry Women’s Voices (CWV). It analyses the impact of the having to make at least £28.8 million of cuts over the next current public sector spending cuts on older women in Coventry. financial year following cuts of £28 million last year.8 George It follows our earlier report, Unravelling Equality? A Human Rights Elliot Hospital faces cuts of £6.8 million on top of cuts made and Equality Impact Assessment of the Public Spending Cuts on last year.9 Women in Coventry,1 which was published in April 2011. The focus • Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, plans to cut its of this report is specifically older women – defined as those in workforce by the equivalent of nearly 560 full-time posts - almost their mid-50s and above. 20% of total staffing - between 2010 and 2013.10 • The number of hospital beds available in Coventry has fallen in The findings of this report challenge the myth that older people the last year11 and a ward in Rugby used by Coventry patients have ‘got off lightly’ from the public sector spending cuts because has been closed.12 benefits for pensioners have not been reduced to the same extent as benefits for some other groups. This is flawed for two reasons: Individuals and groups interviewed for this report reported that these cuts and changes have led to: • Cuts to public services will have a disproportionate and • Increased waiting times for patients13 and problems travelling significant impact on older people and older women to other hospitals. in particular. Cuts to public services including health, social • Increased cancellation of appointments.14 care and transport will all have a significant impact on older • Increased problems with discharges from hospitals without women, as catalogued in chapters 2-4 of this report.2 sufficient support for those requiring care or their carers. • Significant numbers of older women are already living • Increased pressure on staff and volunteers. in poverty.3 Therefore the overall effects of cuts upon • Increased difficulty obtaining an appointment with a GP. them will be particularly severe. The poorest older women are currently struggling to meet rising living costs The impact: Older women will be disproportionately affected particularly the costs of food and fuel which have risen faster by cuts to spending on health because they are more frequent than inflation. Cuts to their benefits (see chapter 5) and users of NHS services than other groups. Many of the distressing reduced support from public services (see chapters 2-4) and experiences of women interviewed for this report also raise the voluntary sector (see chapter 7) will make their situation human rights concerns including: significantly harder. • Delays in treatment –This may mean patients suffering The report concludes that taken together the combined impact of longer and may impact on eventual health outcomes. cuts to spending on health, social care, welfare benefits, transport and • Inadequate Care in hospital - Staff shortages and increased the voluntary sector will exacerbate existing inequalities between pressures on staff as a result of cuts will risk the quality of care, older women and other groups and pose a serious risk to some older which have already been raised as a concern nationally. women’s human rights. Among older women, the poorest women as • Inadequate discharge procedures - Failure to properly well as disabled women, carers and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic assess care needs can lead to extreme distress, increased (BAME) women are likely to be particularly badly affected. hospital re-admissions and worse health outcomes. 2. Health 3. Social care Background: The Government has committed to increase Background: The current cuts to social care are taking place in spending on health by £12.5 billion in the next four years. At the the context of a funding system that is described as ‘not fit for same time the NHS has to save £20 billion from its budget.4 The purpose’ and ‘in urgent need of reform.’16 Older women are the Government argues that these savings can be made by increased majority of those needing care,17 and are the majority of carers.18 efficiency but unions and campaigners have reported wide-spread cuts to health services and job losses.5 The cuts and changes: In Coventry expenditure on residential care, nursing homes and home helps for adults fell by 2.7% between 2010 and 2011.19 Getting off Lightly or Feeling the Pinch? 1 A Human Rights and Equality Impact Assessment of the Public Spending Cuts on Older Women in Coventry Spending on residential care raised that it may exclude many people who currently rely on Combined Impact Poses for people over 65 fell by 7.2% the service.26 Serious Health Risks in the same period.20 • There has also been a general review of bus services in Taken together the public Coventry. Some bus routes have changed and some routes Coventry City Council spending cuts catalogued terminated. New routes have also been added. provided more than five throughout the report pose a and a half thousand fewer serious risk to the physical and The impact: These cuts will have a disproportionate impact on weeks care in 2010/11 than mental health of some older older women since they are more likely to rely on public transport. in 2009/10.21 Under Coventry women, particularly the poorest The cuts are likely to have a potentially serious impact on the private City Council’s ‘A Better or otherwise disadvantaged. lives, health, well-being and employment prospects of some older Coventry’ (ABC) review a • Cuts to some welfare benefits women. further £1,500,000 in savings and the move to link others are expected in adult social to the Consumer Prices Index, care in 2012/13.22 combined with the increased 5. Incomes and poverty cost of food and fuel and What will this mean? The additional costs because of Background: Older women in Coventry, as in the rest of the agencies and organisations cuts to transport and social country, are poorer than men.27 Many poorer women over we spoke to compared care services will push more retirement age are already struggling to manage, as the costs of Coventry favourably to older people into poverty. food and fuel rise above inflation.28 Many women in their 50s and a number of other local There is a strong link between 60s already face having to work for longer because of inadequate authorities. However they poverty and ill-health. pensions. There are particular concerns about those women who also highlighted current and • Cuts to health and social combine poorly paid work with caring responsibilities. potential future problems care services risk reducing in social care including: the level and quality of Cuts and changes: There are a wide range of changes to increased charges for services; care available to older benefits and pensions that will affect older women, depending staff cuts and reductions women. This, combined on what group they fall into: in staff training; concerns with the additional stress Family carers about reduction in access to caused by cancellation of • Women in their fifties and Family carers already services; services contracted appointments, increased early sixties: Some of these experience negative impacts to the cheapest provider waiting times and additional women will be affected by on their health, employment, and potential future decline caring responsibilities, risks cuts and changes to working relationships and social life as in overall standards of care. damaging the physical and age benefits including a result of caring.30 The public These cuts take place in mental health of some older disability benefits, housing spending cuts catalogued the context of concerns women. benefit, council tax credit and in this report are likely to about the quality of some • Cuts to public transport the introduction of universal exacerbate this situation in a of the care that is currently services will make it harder credit. Women working in the number of ways: provided. for women to access vital public sector will be affected by changes to public sector • Cuts to disability benefits health services. They may for the person they care for The Impact: If cuts to pension contributions and an also increase isolation among which will lead to increased spending on adult social some older women with a increase in the retirement age. poverty. care lead to failings in the subsequent negative impact • Older women pensioners: quality of care this will on their mental health. Pensioners have been • Loss of flexible working opportunities which will disproportionately affect • Cuts to advice and support protected against many older women and could have of the changes to housing make it harder to combine services will increase social paid work and caring. serious implications for their isolation. In addition legal aid and other benefits. Some health, their dignity and even cuts will reduce the ability benefits for pensioners such • Cuts to spending on health their life expectancy.