Age Concern: Constitution could help elderly

The proposed NHS constitution could help to protect the rights of older people, Age Concern has said.

The charity's comments follow the prime minister's announcement that a constitution is being planned to lay out what patients can expect from the health service.

"The main users of NHS services are older people and the constitution must help ensure that their voices are heard," Age Concern director general Gordon Lishman said.

"Older people's needs are at present too often ignored - for example when they are not given the help they need when eating and suffer from malnutrition in hospital."

The NHS constitution is part of the anticipated NHS reform bill, which will be published this summer following surgeon and health minister Lord Ara Darzi's review of the NHS.