Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle ageism in healthcare services.

The Department is committed to improving outcomes for older people through a range of cross-cutting strategies and initiatives.

Addressing healthcare inequalities is a fundamental part of the Health Mission and the 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the National Health Service is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it. The Plan will be published in summer 2025 and aims to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital, sickness to prevention. This includes how services can be better integrated and tailored to improve quality of life and reduce inequalities in later life.

The Department is embedding a focus on health inequalities across its work, including through the Core20PLUS5 approach in the NHS, which includes older age-related conditions such as dementia. It is also supporting improvements in adult social care to promote choice and to help people live as independent and fulfilling lives as possible.