News: Age Discrimination Ban
1st October 2012
Age Discrimination Ban comes in to force today
From today, 1st October 2012, it will be unlawful for service providers, policy makers and commissioners to discriminate, victimise, or harass a person because of age. A person will be protected when requesting, and during the course of being provided with, goods facilities and services. If a member of the public aged 18 or over believes that they have been treated less favourably because of their age, they will be able to take organisations or individuals to court – and may be awarded compensation. A case could be taken against health boards, individual clinicians (e.g. consultants, GPs or allied health professionals) or others working in the health sector (such as managers).
In preparation for this ban, the Scottish Government have been working with Department of Health colleagues down South to agree some initial briefing, ‘Implementing a ban on age discrimination in the NHS – making effective, appropriate decisions’ , which gives a short overview of the ban on age discrimination. It is specifically aimed at those who plan, commission or provide NHS services, whether in the NHS, voluntary or private sectors. This applies in England, Wales and Scotland.
The ban is only intended to prevent harmful uses of age. Positive use of age in providing, commissioning and planning services will be able to continue. The Act does not prevent differential treatment where this is objectively justified. Policy makers, commissioners, providers and individuals working in health and social care should continue to take into account someone’s age when it is right and beneficial to do so. Read Implementing a ban on age discrimination in the NHS – making effective, appropriate decisions for full information.
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