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.

 

 

Have you contributed to the government's Independent Living strategy?

Earlier this year, the government launched its Independent Living Strategy, a set of aspirations designed to work across government departments, in order to improve the life chances of disabled people. The broad aim of the Strategy is to remove barriers to disabled individuals exercising choice and control in areas such as housing, transport, health services, education and employment.

As many people have discovered, there is often quite a gap between national policy on Independent Living, and the reality on the ground - this strategy aims to fill the gap.

If you are wondering why I am writing now about a document published several months ago, it is simply because we are nearly at the end of the time allowed for consultation. Your comments need to reach the Office for Disability Issues by June 20th.

This seems a bold attempt to pull together the rather fragmentary policies and procedures that currently affect many lives, and one of those rare occasions when service users' opinions and ideas are actually being canvassed - and may even be acted on!

From the Executive Summary of the Independent Living Strategy (which you can download as a pdf by clicking here), here are the key points presented for feedback:

1. How best to involve disabled people, at a national level, in the monitoring of progress on implementation of the Independent Living Strategy, for example, by setting up an Independent Living Scrutiny Group.

2. We would welcome views on current arrangements for promoting the involvement of disabled people and their organisations and the contribution these arrangements may make to the monitoring of the Independent Living Strategy.

(The "current arrangements" include the Department of Health's aim to have a user-led organisation in every locality by 2010; the new performance framework for local government which encourages involvement of users in the commissioning and delivery of local services; and the Disability Equality Duty (DED) .)

3. There are many existing networks of disabled people which could be drawn together to provide a resource for the involvement of disabled people at local and regional levels in implementing the Independent Living Strategy. Is there a need for a “network of networks” to facilitate this?

4. The Independent Living Review’s Expert Panel advised of the importance of building leadership capacity amongst disabled people of all ages. They suggested that Partners in PolicymakingTM courses would be useful in promoting disabled people’s involvement in implementing the Strategy. Views are sought on current initiatives to build leadership capacity amongst disabled people, on whether further work should adapt the Partners in PolicymakingTM model, and/or whether there are other models that should be considered.

5. The Expert Panel identified a range of different mechanisms to support delivery of the Strategy. The Government Offices for the Regions play a key role and there is a need to assist them to support local strategic partnerships (LSPs) to deliver independent living policies, linking with user-led organisations, and monitoring implementation. We would welcome views on the best ways to assist implementation and monitoring of the Strategy at regional and local levels.

And finally, 6. Any other views on the Independent Living Strategy.

You should send your responses to:

Independent Living Strategy Consultation
Office for Disability Issues
Department for Work and Pensions
The Adelphi
1-11 John Adam Street
London WC2N 6HT
Telephone: 0207 712 2845
Textphone: 0207 712 2032
Fax: 0207 962 8096
Email: independent-living-review@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

As always, you can post any comments here too, for other Independent Living site visitors to read.