- In some areas, no-one over 75 is being offered crucial breast cancer surgery
- Law came into force in 2012 making it illegal to deny surgery based on age
- Royal College of Surgeons says there is no evidence the situation is better
- Warns of postcode lottery between NHS bodies in treatment of over-65s
The elderly are still being denied life-saving operations by the NHS despite new laws to prevent age discrimination, leading surgeons warn.
In some areas, no-one over 75 is being offered crucial surgery for breast cancer and very few undergo bowel cancer surgery or have knee and hip replacements.
This is despite legislation which came into force in October 2012 making it illegal for NHS staff to deny surgery to patients on the basis of age alone.
Discriminated: The elderly are still being denied life-saving operations. In some areas, no-one over 75 is being offered crucial surgery for breast cancer and very few undergo bowel cancer surgery
The Royal College of Surgeons says there is no evidence the situation has improved since then and is urging patients to be firm with their doctors if they feel discriminated against.
In a report today, produced with the charity Age UK, the college warns of a striking postcode lottery between local NHS bodies in the rates of over-65s being offered surgery for breast and bowel cancer, knee and hip replacements and hernia repair.
The college examined figures for the rates of surgery in the over-65s and over-75s for all of England’s 211 new clinical commissioning groups.
Women treated in the best performing areas are 37 times more likely to have surgery for breast cancer than those in the worst performing areas.
Seventeen bodies did not offer any breast cancer operations to women over 75 last year while three others commissioned more than 100.
Bowel cancer patients over 65 in the best performing areas are nine times more likely to have surgery than those in the worst performing areas.
Similarly, hernia patients in the best performing areas are 12 times more likely to be given an operation and those needing knee and hip replacements are 17 times more likely to have surgery.
The college is concerned that such stark differences between areas mean that some doctors and managers are wrongly writing off patients because of their age.
Professor Norman Williams, its president, said: ‘If age is being used as a discriminator it’s absolutely wrong. You have to base the decisions on the health of the individual in front of you.
‘Surgery is incredibly effective these days and much easier for patients to get over than in the past.’
He urged patients who felt they were being unfairly denied surgery to have ‘frank’ discussions with their GP or specialist.
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