A report into the coverage of mental health services has concluded that many people over 65 are not receiving the services they are entitled to. The Healthcare Commission undertook the study by visiting six mental health trusts across the country, but found only two had made concerted efforts to deal with age discrimination when it came to access to services.

Labour's health spokesperson, Coun. Tracey Simpson-Laing, said the report reflected a small sample nationally, but that she was keen to ensure the council's and local Primary Care Trust's delivery of mental health services was treating all age groups equally. She commented:

"York may well not fall into this grouping but I would like to establish if it does or does not. Elderly people are every bit as entitled to these very important services as anyone else as one standard required from the National Service Framework for Older People. This requires that older people with mental health problems have access to integrated mental health services, provided by the NHS and the council to ensure effective diagnosis, treatment and support, for them and for their carers.

"The new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) will assess how well the council and its partners are working together in the delivery of public services and I hope this is one aspect in which it does not fall down. On this national study, the Local Government Information Unit describes what is ‘disturbing discrimination' and this must be rooted out where it exists. I shall be making enquiries on the local criteria for accessing mental health services to ensure York and North Yorkshire is not discriminating in this same way".

Coun. Simpson-Laing added that older people or their families may not always seek support services when someone suffers with mental health problems, but that there should not be any stigma attached in doing so.