The equalities commission is failing to protect elderly Britons from discrimination as it is too preoccupied with race and transgender issues, a leading campaign group warns.
Silver Voices claims the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is ‘routinely’ ignoring older people’s rights as it prioritises other minorities.
It is now calling on the government to launch a major review into the regulator amid concerns it is ineffective and delivering poor value for its £18million a year budget.
The EHRC is supposed to enforce the Equality Act 2010, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against or harass individuals based on nine protected characteristics.
These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
But Silver Voices, which campaigns for the over-60s, says the EHRC appears disinterested in tackling complaints related to age, such as ‘institutional ageism’ in the NHS.
Silver Voices complained that NHS policy on age limits for cancer screening contravenes the Equality Act
The current EHRC Business Plan has specific projects on sexual discrimination, race discrimination and discrimination against travellers but nothing on age discrimination.
Silver Voices has written to the public body to complain about the elderly being denied healthcare, such as cancer treatment and vaccines, that it believes would be available for young patients.
But it says its complaints have been ignored or resulted in no apparent action being taken.
Silver Voices submitted a compliance complaint to the EHRC six months ago, against the NHS, on the grounds that its policy on age limits on cancer screening contravened equalities legislation. The complaint was backed up by a petition with over 100,000 signatures.
Despite agreeing to examine the complaint, the EHRC appears to have taken no action on it.
Dennis Reed, the director of Silver Voices, said he has not been asked to discuss the complaint and no progress reports have been given.
Three months ago, Silver Voices submitted a further complaint against the NHS, claiming ‘blatant’ age discrimination is being exercised on shingles vaccinations.
The charity says elderly people are routinely ignored by the equality watchdog as it is too preoccupied with race and transgender issues
The jabs are offered to people when they reach 65, unless they are already 66 to 69, in which case they have to wait until they are 70 and then become ineligible at 80.
The EHRC has not even confirmed that it is looking at this complaint.
Mr Reed told the Daily Mail: ‘We should expect all forms of discrimination to be treated equally by the EHRC but sadly this is not the case.
‘Older people are routinely ignored by this organisation, which has a budget of £18 million, of which staff costs represent £14 million.
‘The major public service used by older people is the NHS and yet the EHRC appears disinterested in tackling institutional ageism in the NHS, despite thousands of older lives being at stake through its policies.
‘There needs to be a fundamental review of the effectiveness and value for money of the EHRC by the next Government and a review of equalities legislation to ensure endemic age discrimination against 12 million older people is stamped out.’
A spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: ‘The EHRC receives complaints each week about allegations of unlawful activity contrary to the Equality Act 2010.
‘We consider each complaint carefully and take action where appropriate.
‘As Britain’s equality regulator, we take our obligation to protect and promote equality for everyone extremely seriously.
‘We are tackling issues specifically affecting older people through several of our priority work programmes.’
An NHS England spokesperson said: ‘NHS staff work day and night to care for millions of patients a year, and clinical need and what is best for the patient is always the priority.
‘Advances in healthcare have helped people live longer than ever before, and it is essential that older people are supported to remain as healthy and independent as possible, for as long as possible, and that they receive the highest quality care when they need it.’
The NHS follows guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on vaccine eligibility, including for the shingles vaccine, and the UK National Screening Committee advises ministers and the NHS on who should be eligible for screening.
