Minister for Old People - MP backs call

Bulwell MP Graham Allen has pledged his support to the Grey Pride campaign, backing calls for a Minister for Older People.
Graham AllenGraham Allen
Graham Allen

The Grey Pride campaign is led by Anchor, the largest not-for-profit provider of care and housing for older people in the UK.

Labour has appointed a Shadow Minister for Care and Older People, Liz Kendall, who represents the views of the elderly.

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Mr Allen said: “With 23 per cent of my constituency are older voters so I hear first-hand about the problems they face. That is why I’m supporting Anchor’s Grey Pride campaign and their call for a Minister for Older People.

“It’s really important that we can recognise and respond to the needs of older people, particularly as we are facing an increasingly ageing population. Liz Kendall is already standing up for the views of older people. If Labour win the General Election, I hope she would become the first Minister for Older People.”

“A Minister for Older People would be able to focus the Government’s attention on planning a better response to our ageing society, representing the views and needs of older people in Nottingham North and across the UK.”

Anchor’s Grey Pride Manifesto highlights many of the challenges facing older people, including a lack of suitable retirement housing or availability of adequate social care support.

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The treatment of older people in hospital has also been highlighted: many older people’s wards have only one nurse to every ten patients which is above the recommended safety ratios. These poor staffing levels have led 90 per cent of nurses to say they were unable to properly care for dying patients. Visit www.greypride.org.uk for more information.

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