New rules on equality announced

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The Government is set to introduce new measures which it hopes will put a stop pensioners being denied equal treatment in areas including travel and car insurance cover and healthcare.

The new Equalities Bill aims to stop elderly people being patronised by their GPs and being denied NHS treatment because of their age.

The move follows complaints of pensioners being fobbed off by GPs and denied health, travel and car insurance.

"The last frontier of equality is ensuring that the growing number of older people in this country don't face unfair prejudice and discrimination," said Equality Minister Harriet Harman, who is publishing the Bill.

Doctors would be prevented from discriminating against patients because of their age, although they would still be able to refuse treatment on clinical grounds.

The new laws are aimed at combating “harmful” age discrimination, but will also cover the pay gap between the sexes and will introduce new rules allowing breastfeeding mothers to feed their babies in public.

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