As long as older people are viewed as second-class citizens they will receive second-rate care

Paul Cann Help the Aged

The study, called Age Discrimination in Public Policy, says age is used to decide how health services are divided and to exclude people from jobs.

An "older person" could be categorised as someone in their 30s or 40s in the job market, the survey found. Elsewhere it may refer to people over 55.

It calculates that age discrimination costs the government �5 billion a year in benefits for those who might be working.

Help the Aged's director of policy Paul Cann called for a fairer deal for older people.

"The insidious scourge of age discrimination blights and restricts the lives of older people," he said.

'Endemic'

"As long as older people are viewed as second-class citizens they will receive second-rate care that is damaging, degrading and can have tragic consequences."

Campaigners took to a skip to get their messsage across

The government is currently in the final stages of consultation on plans to outlaw discrimination in employment on the grounds of age, sexual orientation and religion.

Mr Cann said the consultation should ensure that the right framework is in place to make legislation work and to extend it beyond employment.

"The government concedes that age discrimination exists in the NHS. Now it is shown to be endemic across public institutions," he said.

'Expose and challenge'

The Liberal Democrat shadow minister for older people, Paul Burstow, is introducing an Age Discrimination Bill into Parliament on the 19 March, calling for the early introduction of legislation.

"Help the Aged have made the case for urgent action to outlaw age discrimination in this country," he said.

"It is time this government acted and stopped condoning the attitude that allows older workers to be thrown on the scrap heap."

The report coincides with the launch on Wednesday of the Scrap It! campaign, run by British Gas and Help the Aged, which aims to "expose and challenge" age discrimination.