Elderly people returning home from hospital without adequate help are more than twice as likely to be readmitted within three months, research issued today has indicated.

The finding is contained in a report from the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) which shows nearly 200,000 people aged over 75 were discharged from hospital without the right help they needed to look after themselves in the last decade, resulting in readmissions and placing further pressure on NHS budgets.

Figures compiled by the RVS suggest hospital admissions among those aged over 75 have risen four times faster than ageing trends in the population – 38% compared with 10% - and the growth in hospital readmissions have increased by a staggering 86%.