The King's Fund has published "Auditing age discrimination", a guide to how organisations can work to eradicate discrimination against older people.

Forum Response: Age Concern

Gordon Lishman, director of Age Concern England, said: "The impact of institutionalised age discrimination can be devastating for older people, who are one of the biggest users of health and social cares services in the UK. The loss of dignity, which ensues from discrimination, is an added burden for older people at a time when they are most likely to be in need of support services.

"Combating age discrimination is the first standard in the National Service Framework and promises to be a step in the right direction. Services and resources must be targeted to provide adequate resources and fair services based on people's needs regardless of age.

"We will be monitoring government responses to ensure that it fulfils its pledge to raise health and social care standards for older people."

Forum Response: Help the Aged

Tessa Harding, head of policy at Help the Aged, said: "We know there is extensive age discrimination in the NHS and social care and that this can go unrecognised. This practical guidance will help managers to identify and act on ageist practices, enabling older people access to the care and treatment they need.

"The Department of Health is the first branch of government to take active steps to root out age discrimination in public services, so health service managers are breaking new ground. This document will be an important resource both to them and to other public service managers."