This review, from the literature, will look at possible evidence of age discrimination in the secondary health care setting in the United Kingdom. Companion reviews look at age discrimination in primary care, mental health care and social care.

Primary and secondary health care are very much interlinked, with access to secondary care being, for the most part, by referral from primary care. Many health care services, for example Palliative Care, are provided at both the primary and secondary levels of health care and some of the issues raised here may be applicable at both primary and secondary level. This review, however, focuses on secondary health care and therefore excludes issues that are mainly or exclusively associated with the primary care setting.