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Webinar: Health in 2040: what could an older population mean for the UK’s health?
The Health Foundation will bring together experts to explore the findings of their recent report Health in 2040.
Webinar details
Date: Tuesday 12 September 2023
Time: 11.45–13.00
We’ve known for a long while that our population is getting older. Life expectancy is increasing and the baby boomer generation is reaching old age. While living longer is something to celebrate, this will have profound implications for our society.
In July, the Health Foundation’s REAL Centre published a new report (see below) that explores the projected health of the population, looking at patterns of illness in the population of England to 2040. It showed that 9.1 million people in England are projected to be living with major illness by 2040, 2.5 million more than in 2019.
This webinar will convene experts to explore what the findings mean for how we might need to change as a society, and what can we do to better prepare for the future.
REAL Centre report: Health in 2040: projected patterns of illness in England
Key points
- 9.1 million people in England are projected to be living with major illness by 2040, 2.5 million more than in 2019. This is an increase from almost 1 in 6 to nearly 1 in 5 of the adult population.
- Most of this rise is the result of an ageing population – as life expectancy increases and the baby-boomer generation reaches older age. While living longer is something to celebrate, this will have profound implications for the NHS, social care and other public services.
- We have known for some time that an ageing population increases the demand for health services. This report gives us an idea of the scale going forward. The challenges this creates are not unique to England or the UK – as many high-income countries are ageing at a similar rate.
- Much of the projected growth in illness relates to conditions such as anxiety and depression, chronic pain and diabetes, which are predominantly managed in primary care and the community. This reinforces the need for investment in general practice and community-based services, focusing on prevention and early intervention to reduce the impact of illness and improve the quality of people’s lives.
- The number of people living with major illness is projected to increase by 37% – over a third – by 2040, nine times the rate at which the working age population (20–69-year-olds) is expected to grow (4%). This would create additional pressures on us all to care for and fund a growing population with high health and care needs.
Find out more about the work of The Health Foundation including the funding programmes they provide to those delivering health and social care in the UK; by visiting their website.
