<p>The ‘plight’ of older people in A&amp;E departments has received much media coverage in the past few years. In a BBC news report in December 2000, the charity, Help the Aged, accused A&amp;E departments of discrimination and administering poor care to elderly people. This accusation was based on evidence collected over 18 months, including views of professionals, patients and carers and an evaluation of research. Help the Aged cited findings by the University of Glasgow that showed that patients attending A&amp;E after road traffic accidents were less likely to be treated in resuscitation rooms if they were elderly. The same study also showed that senior emergency staff are rarely involved in the direct care of older people.</p>