Age Discrimination

All staff have two areas of focus regarding Age Discrimination

1. Age Discrimination in relation to employees
2. Age Discrimination in relation to patients, clients and the older population in Bolton

Employees:

Over a quarter of Bolton PCT's employees are over the age of 50. The oldest employee is 73 years and the average age of all staff is 41 years.
Currently there is no law against discriminating against someone because of his or her age. However, legislation to outlaw age discrimination - likely to cover recruitment, promotion, training, pay and benefits, unfair dismissal and redundancy - is expected to be in operation by October 2006.
Bolton PCT considers age along with other diversity issues. There is currently no age discrimination policy in place, however issues are covered in the equal opportunities policy.
If you have any issue regarding age discrimination please contact your manager, the HR department or your union representative.

Older People:

We all work alongside older people (defined by the Government as those over the age of 50) and many of us will also be involved in providing services for older patients, clients and service users. It is also worth remembering that if we are not already, we will hopefully become an older person!

The National Service Framework for Older People (a ten year plan launched in 2001 by the Department of Health) sets an age discrimination standard for all health and social care professionals. The aim of this standard is 'to ensure that older people are never unfairly discriminated against in accessing NHS or social care services as a result of their age'.

This standard is being worked towards in Bolton and has resulted in a training package being developed. This has been piloted in the PCT and it is intended to role this out to the hospitals trust and social services.
For more information on Age Discrimination please contact Ruth Molloy, Senior Health Promotion Specialist - Older People on 01204 46 2167.

Contacts:

• Help the Aged  or SeniorLine on 0808 800 6565  www.helptheaged.org.uk
• Age Concern England  - 0800 009966 or www.ageconcern.org.uk
• Age Concern Bolton 01204 907735