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The introduction of the Equality Act in the UK1 has brought into focus issues of how old-age psychiatry is defined. For some time it has been neither logical nor reasonable to use older than 65 years of age as a criterion for access to (or denial of) a service; now it is probably unlawful to do so. The absence of a robust definition for old-age psychiatry is leading to erosion and fragmentation of services, with some health providers in the UK creating generic all-age (so-called ageless) services.

To assess the development of ageless services, we did an online survey of old-age psychiatry consultants in the UK who were members of the Old Age Faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Of the 81 organisations providing mental health services for older adults in the UK, we received responses from 76. Of the 415 respondents who completed the survey, 196 (47%) reported development of some elements of ageless …