The number of elderly people rushed to hospital has soared over the past decade in NHS Tayside has increased by almost 25%, laying bare the challenges of Scotland’s ageing population. The figure for NHS Fife has also shows a 30% increase in Emergency admissions for the over 75s in Fife. Figures have shown there were 149,866 emergency admissions among over 75s last year, compared to just 116,128 in 2003/4. That means there has been an increase of more than 30,000 in the space of ten years as hospitals deal with an increasing range of challenges. It is the latest figure showing the challenges likely to face health services in the future, with the proportion of people aged 75 and over set to increase dramatically in coming years. The Scottish Conservatives have urged ministers to help the NHS prepare for that challenge, which will involve dealing with more cases of challenging conditions such as dementia. The statistics were included in an ISD Scotland report into acute hospital activity. Reports late last year showed Scotland’s elderly population would increase by 86 per cent by 2037. Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife said: “The fact people are living longer is absolutely to be welcomed. But we have to be honest and face up to the fact this is going to bring an array of challenges. “I am concerned that the number of admissions among the over 75s in the past 10 years in Tayside has increased by almost a quarter and in NHS Fife by over a third. “Tens of thousands more people aged 75 and over are being admitted to emergency wards every years, and that shows statistically what a massive issue this is. “The Scottish Government should have started preparing for this years ago, but instead the number of nurses has been cut, and we hear no end of horror stories about the experiences of elderly patients in hospital. “A huge proportion of these patients will have dementia, but not enough nurses are trained to deal with that in the context of an acute hospital setting. “We can see very plainly the increase of the last decade, and we know without doubt it will continue for some time. “It’s time for the SNP Scottish Government to make dealing with this issue a number one priority.”