Elderly must not become ‘political football’, warns HSE chief

POLITICIANS must stop using the elderly as a political football and develop a comprehensive care policy for them, Health Service Executive chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm warned yesterday.

Speaking at Fine Gael’s parliamentary party meeting in Portlaoise, Prof Drumm said it was irresponsible of politicians to blame bed shortages on elderly patients.

“I have also stressed the importance of this country developing a policy for the care of the elderly; that it doesn’t become a political football.