LONELINESS can be a killer.

That may seem an extreme statement, but the effects of loneliness and isolation are being flagged up by doctors as a trigger that sets off ill health, particularly in the elderly.

Estimates in Oxfordshire County Council documents suggest 60,000 people in Oxfordshire – roughly 10 per cent of the population – are lonely. Most are elderly and almost all live on their own because of the death of a husband, wife or partner and feel at their lowest in the evenings and weekends, which is just when medical support is at its lowest.

Although that figure has remained fairly static over the past 10 years or so, we are now living longer and the number of people in the county over 65 is expected to rise by a further 40,000 by 2025. The number of those who are living past 85 is expected to grow by 30 percent to 22,000 by the same time.

That could mean loneliness may become more of a problem as bus services are being cut back, as people are struggling to get an appointment with their GP and voluntary organisations that help vulnerable and lonely people to get out and meet others to boost their wellbeing are being forced to the wire through funding cuts.

A full report on loneliness has been spelled out by many organisations but the most telling report came from Age UK, which works extensively with the elderly and now fills in many gaps in services previously provided by the local authorities.

In one of their reports they claimed that evidence indicated that alleviating loneliness reduced spending on health services. They reported on research which suggested that relatively low-cost approaches to addressing loneliness and isolation among the elderly can result in fewer visits to the doctor, lower use of medication, lower incidence of falls and reduced risk factors for long term care.

Other reported benefits included fewer days in hospital, physician visits and out-patient appointments and fewer and later admissions to nursing homes.

What must have been music to the ears of those responsible for providing health and social care were figures showing that those involved in group activities cost half of that chalked up in hospital visits and other services by those who were on their own. It appeared to give proof that it is cost effective to spend money on providing social facilities.

But when it comes to changing the way health and social services are being planned for the future some people, including me, are worried that they could increase loneliness.

Doctors and social workers are talking about developing a care closer to home strategy by building on the strengths of the GP system, which is already under severe stress. That, apparently, includes talking directly to the doctor by phoning, texting or even Facetime or Skype or using apps on mobile phones. And it saves money. It is a DIY and sci-fi approach that has raised a few eyebrows in surprise.

One example being given of today’s procedures is how a woman’s heart condition led to calling out an emergency ambulance, a 10-day period of hospitalisation and a bill of £4,000, before being discharged on home oxygen costing £80 a month for life to treat resulting permanent lung damage. It is claimed that under the new system of providing care nearer home she would be treated earlier and end up with a better result and quality of life. This would cost £200.

This is how treatment would happen under the new system.

Each morning the woman steps on her wireless bathroom scales and information is transmitted to a central hub where a team is alerted to the build-up in weight caused by fluid retention. A dedicated nurse calls her and sends a car to take the woman for same-day assessment at a clinic close to her home and her medication is changed and a plan agreed for fluid restriction. She goes home with her quality of life maintained within four days.

Is that a good idea or pie in the sky?

If community services are developed as promised, if the GPs can take the strain, if the dream of integrated services closer to people’s homes becomes a reality and if more home carers are recruited, it might actually happen.

That is a lot of ifs. And what does it do for loneliness, which after all is a starting point for lack of wellbeing?

It is essential that activities in villages and towns to keep the elderly and vulnerable from being lonely are kept going. Most of these activities are organised and run by volunteers.

It is these volunteers as well as doctors and social workers who mainly work a 9-5 five day week that will play a vital part in people’s wellbeing. It would be short-sighted and costly to take away any further funding support for them.