---

Mental Health: Age Discrimination

My Lords, I was in full flow. I shall now cut some of what I was going to say. We have already heard that there is a huge incidence of depression among people over 75, that it is likely to increase by 30 per cent by 2026—by 80 per cent among people over 85—and that it is three times more common than dementia, especially among people who are living alone and in isolated circumstances. We know that it is a major risk factor for suicide, we know that it increases natural mortality by a factor of two to three and we know that it impairs independent function. It also worsens the outcomes of other medical conditions and it costs a lot. The consequences are therefore serious. What it really says is that society does not care much. This kind of discrimination reflects cultural attitudes on the value of older people versus the value of younger people. The noble Lord, Lord Crisp, is right: we need to take this seriously. I could say much more about this. I wish to draw two other issues to the Committee’s attention. In the national audit of violence, there were far higher rates found in wards for older people than among younger people. Also, the sudden unexplained deaths in patients were highest among those aged 65 to 74, particularly where dementia was involved. That is eight times higher than among those aged 45 or less. That suggests, again, that something odd is going on. We cannot track it exactly, but it looks peculiar. This must be cultural. It is a form of discrimination; the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross, is right about that. Older people are seen as making less fuss and as being less likely to cause a row. That is why we need to take this seriously in a cross-party way. I would like to ask the Minister five questions. First, as there is already discrimination against older people in mental health services, will funding for older people be protected against any forthcoming financial constraints, or will older people be penalised equally with younger people, which would compound discrimination? Secondly, will lack of funding be used as a justification for not addressing age discrimination in mental health services? Thirdly, can she confirm that there will be investment in specialist services for older people to match demographic change, or will discrimination be allowed to escalate by increasing demand exceeding lack of supply? Fourthly, can she confirm that legislation will protect the need for age-appropriate specialist mental health services—the need, for example, for specialist training and provision for CBT—or will this have to be an exception in a law to ban age discrimination? Finally, because depression is such a huge issue, can she assure us that the Government take the condition seriously and will now take urgent action on the matter, as they have just done in the case of dementia?