Help the Aged: Concerns are no surprise

Concerns about funding for elderly care services will "not come as a surprise to older NHS patients", according to Help the Aged.

The charity said problems result from ageism manifesting itself in a "lack of appropriate funding and specialist services for older people".

Its comments follow a survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) which found that just one in ten doctors believes enough money is being spent on the care of the elderly in the NHS.

Eight in ten doctors said they felt healthcare services for older people are not good enough.

Charlotte Potter, senior health policy officer at Help the Aged, described the survey as "deeply disappointing".

"The Department of Health has already acknowledged that there are deep-rooted negative attitudes and behaviours towards older people and these are at the heart of failure to provide decent services for them," she added.

"The [Help the Aged Just Equal Treatment] campaign has cited examples of age discrimination in all areas of everyday life - from hospital to the high street - and has recently published a selection of personal stories from older people affected by age discrimination, including some for whom ageist assumptions and practices nearly meant the difference between life and death."