The Royal College of Psychiatrists welcomes
the Health Secretary’s announcement that age discrimination in NHS
and social care will be outlawed from 2012.
For many years, the College has been seriously
concerned to see the position of older people in mental health care
fall behind that of younger adults. Last week at the House of
Commons (13 October 2009), the College launched a new position
statement, Age
Discrimination in mental health services: making equality a
reality. This, and an accompanying
compendium of evidence, exposes the ways in which older people
are suffering serious discrimination in mental health services,
leaving them unable to access vital services and at risk of
deterioration in their mental health.
It is now crucial that these important changes
to the law translate into concrete action at a local level
and, come 2012, older people will have equal access to vital mental
health services such as psychological therapies, 24-hour crisis
home treatment, and early diagnosis and intervention.
For further information, please contact Liz Fox or Deborah
Hart in the Communications Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127
Note to editors:
Age Discrimination in mental health services: making equality a reality and The Need to tackle age discrimination in mental health: a compendium of evidence http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/campaigns/fairdeal/rcpsych.aspx
College's position on the Equality Bill http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pressparliament/equalitybill.aspx