NHS 10 year plan must meet needs of ageing population

The British Geriatrics Society is calling for the NHS 10 ten year plan to meet the needs our ageing population and put older people at the centre of care plans.

Eileen Burns, President of the British Geriatrics Society, says that all older people receive high quality, patient-centred care when and where they need it.

However, with the challenges of meeting the needs our ageing population becoming tougher due to financial obstacles, disparity between health and care services, and more people living for longer with a number of health issues. Therefore, British Geriatrics Society is urging for the availability of care and treatment in community settings, closer to where people live.

Alongside this, the society argues that key priorities in the plan must include better integration of services with an emphasis on continuity of care, better identification of frailty among older people and earlier treatment, wider access to comprehensive geriatric assessment and personal care plans and success measures to be person-centred and to include the use of primary care, home care and quality of life, alongside those that cover hospitalisation.

Burns said: “An NHS that better meets the health and care needs of our ageing population will not only benefit older people but society as whole. In order to improve health outcomes for older people we need to ensure they are able to access expert treatment when and where they need it, and we are calling for this to be taken into account at every stage of the planning process.”