Heralding an end to ageism in the NHS

Anyone who has achieved "retirement age" and had cause to visit their GP may well be aware of the rampant ageism within the NHS. One doctor at our own surgery was proposing a range of tests to identify the cause of my husband's sudden bout of exhaustion and weakness when he realised that he was 65, not 60 as he had thought, and changed his recommendations. No tests, just a prescription for a tonic and a suggestion that it was perfectly normal to feel like that at his age.

Although his manner was probably less subtle than the average, the message has been equally clearly received and understood by many older patients: if you are feeling unwell or in pain, it is very likely due to your age, and you needn't expect the over-burdened NHS to do much about it, now that you are no longer a productive member of society. Many of this generation, the last to be brought up with less confidence about their rights, have absorbed the message so well that they don't even bother to consult their GP, but simply live with conditions that limit their activities and enjoyment of life - and which could perhaps be ameliorated, if not cured.

So it was wonderful to hear that as part of its new anti-discrimination legislation, the government will make it illegal to refuse medical treatment on grounds of age. The new law will not, of course, endow the NHS with limitless funds, and hard choices will still have to be made, but hopefully they will be made on a case by case basis, rather than by reference to an arbitrary number.

Since ageism in the workplace became illegal two years ago, the number of people working beyond the official retirement ages of 60 for women and 65 for men has increased quite dramatically, with the number of older women in employment growing faster than any other group - 850,000 now; the highest since records began.

It is scarcely logical to treat individuals in one context as valuable members of a shrinking workforce, and in another as unwarranted burdens on an overstretched health service.

And can a society call itself civilised if it values people purely on their productivity anyway? The confused and frail old woman rendered passive by unnecessary antipsychotic drugs, or left dehydrated and malnourished by carers who have no time to care, could have been you or me yesterday. And unless we all act to change attitudes to the most vulnerable in our society, it may well be you or me tomorrow.