AGE UK statement in response to Chief Medical Officer - Professor Chris Whitty - Annual Report 2023 ‘Health in an Ageing Society’

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive at Age UK said:

“We welcome this powerful and timely report from the Chief Medical officer. It clearly demonstrates why we need politicians and policy makers across the board to get a grip and make the task of adapting to the realities of our ageing population a priority. This is why at Age UK we are calling for a cross- government ageing strategy and minister for older people urgently. There are both challenges and opportunities in increasing longevity, but taking the steps required to prepare and adapt is essential if we are to avoid the pitfalls and realise the potential.

“A society that doesn’t function for a large, and rapidly growing, part of its population can never be truly successful. We can already see how the failure to invest in delivering the right services and support is leading to worse outcomes for older people and entirely avoidable problems. Older people are isolated at home if the design of our communities mean they can’t safely go out. People end up falling and in the back of an ambulance if our built environment is full of trip hazards. Our hospitals are over capacity at least in part, due to the failure to provide adequate social care and community services to enable people to stay safe and well at home. None of this is inevitable. Getting it right would have immeasurable benefits for individual older people and their families as well as our communities and society as whole.”