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Minister pledges inquiry action to end age discrimination
Health Secretary Alan Johnson yesterday announced a review to draw up proposals for health and social care chiefs to quickly end age discrimination.
Ministers have already pledged to end age discrimination in the NHS constitution and will further strengthen regulations in the upcoming Equality Bill.
A survey yesterday by the charities Help the Aged and Age Concern, which are merging, found three fifths of pensioners said they believed older people suffered discrimination.
In a speech yesterday at a conference organised by the charities calling for more action to support older people, Mr Johnson, above, said ending discrimination would take time and was not just an issue of resources and access to services but about changing attitudes.
He said the inquiry, due to report in October, would draw up recommendations.
Proposals to reform social care would also be set out by the Government later this year.
"No responsible government can sideline this issue, or ignore it, in the vague hope that it will gently retire to the wings as previous generations of older people were expected to do," he said. "Better care, better services and greater inclusion are not only issues important to older people – they are critical issues to the health and of our society."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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