In April 2009, the then Secretary of State for Health asked Sir Ian Carruthers, Chief Executive of NHS South West, and Jan Ormondroyd, Chief Executive of Bristol City Council, to undertake a review of age discrimination and age equality in the health and social care sector.

The Secretary of State asked Sir Ian and Jan to consider what health and social care organisations should do to ensure that people are not discriminated against by services because of their age.  The review was set up to help health and social care organisations meet the ban on age discrimination and the new public sector equality duty in the Equality Bill.

The review analysed evidence about the nature, extent and variability of age discrimination in health and social care services.  It also considered what reforms are already in train to tackle age discrimination and support greater age equality.  It looked at evidence from a wide variety of sources, including academic research, stakeholder submissions, personal testimony and the conclusions of a number of workshops and engagement events.

The review published its report to the Secretary of State, Achieving Age Equality in Health and Social Care, on 22 October 2009.  The Government intends to publish and consult on its response to the review’s recommendations in December of this year. This will take place in parallel with consultation on a resource pack designed to support implementation.

The consultation will include the Government’s response on the recommendations in the review that are not directly tied to the legislation. The consultation will be concerned with action to be taken in England. However, the Equality Bill applies throughout Great Britain. The Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government are considering separately what action to take to prepare the NHS and social care in Scotland and Wales for implementation of the Equality Bill.  The Government will also, building on the work of the review, set out its thinking on the issue of ‘exceptions’ to the ban on age discrimination. There will also be a further consultation on a draft legislative Order led by the Government Equalities office in 2010.

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