Geriatric care in the United Kingdom: aligning services to needs   Commentary: current system could be made to work

Current provision and funding of health and social care for older people in the United Kingdom are undermined by a structural and operational misalignment of primary healthcare teams, acute hospital trusts, community trusts, and social services. The problem has been compounded by the fact that funding originates from at least three sources: the NHS, local social services departments, and personal or insured means. The inevitable result is obfuscation of responsibilities.