§ 32. Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to end age discrimination against patients in the NHS. [1318841
§ Mr. HuttonDiscrimination on the grounds of age within the National Health Service is totally unacceptable. The NHS Plan made it clear that we will challenge and remove any practices which discriminate against older people. The National Service Framework for Older People, which will set new national standards for the NHS and social care will be published later this year and introduced from April 2001. The new national standards will ensure that ageism is not tolerated in the NHS.