Commenting on two new reports on the impact of ageism on health and persistent prevalence of ageism within healthcare settings, George McNamara, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age, said:
“There is no place for ageism in the NHS. The impact of ageism on the health and wellbeing of older people cannot be underestimated. It is very concerning that access and the quality of health and care received seems to be dependent on age.
“As a society, our failure to ensure fairness and equal rights to protect those at risk of age discrimination runs the risk of older people being treated like second-class citizens. Government must do more and introduce an 'age friendly' test to all legislation and programmes, as well as having a champion for older people within government.”
This is in response to the following reports:
- The Lancet Public Health: Ageism linked to poorer health in older people in England
- ILC-UK: Ageism in Breast Cancer