A new Age UK report highlights the growing crisis in elderly health and social care across Britain, exposing declining support, increased inequalities, and calls for urgent government action to prevent further deterioration.
Elderly Britons are increasingly bearing the brunt of a strained health and social care system, with many unable to access the essential support they need, a damning report from Age UK reveals. The charity highlights the ‘shameful’ reality that pensioners today spend less time in good health during their retirement years than previous generations. Men aged 65 can expect only 10.1 years of good health on average, while women fare slightly better at 11.2 years, with those living in deprived areas experiencing even shorter healthy life spans.
The report underscores a troubling mismatch between the growing elderly population and the healthcare workforce, with the number of full-time equivalent general practitioners failing to keep pace. Meanwhile, social care support for older people has declined compared to a decade ago, leaving many to depend on friends and family to manage daily activities such as washing, cooking, and cleaning. This reliance is particularly concerning when considering mental health, as the report finds that older adults with common mental health conditions—ranging from anxiety to depression—are the least likely to receive treatment. Among those aged 65 to 74, one in seven has a common mental health condition, but two-thirds remain untreated; this figure rises to 78% for those aged 75 and over.
Access to NHS dental care also presents significant challenges, with the ‘oldest old’—those aged 85 and above—being the least seen by dental services. By 2025, 16% of older patients reported being unable to book a dentist appointment within two years, and 28% felt GP waiting times were excessively long. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, described the health and care system as being under “unprecedented pressure – in some places, at times virtually under siege.” She warned that many older people currently cannot access the high-quality care they urgently need, resulting in growing dissatisfaction and a shift towards private healthcare where affordable. This widening inequality is most pronounced in disparities in healthy life expectancy, which Abrahams described as “shameful” for the nation.
Age UK’s report calls on the government to take decisive action: reducing the number of emergency hospital admissions for conditions that could be managed in the community to under 100,000 annually; guaranteeing structured medication reviews and falls risk assessments for older adults diagnosed with severe frailty; and bringing hospital discharge delays back to pre-pandemic levels, down from the current 12,000 to about 4,500 on a typical day. The charity also urged the adult social care commission, led by Baroness Louise Casey, to publish its final report sooner than the current 2028 timeline.
Complementing these findings, a separate study by the Royal Society for Public Health criticises adult social care services, revealing that more than a third in England fail to adequately support healthier living among their users. Only 58% of care home and home care providers were rated ‘good’ or better for encouraging healthy choices and identifying health risks early. The report advocates phasing out very short 15-minute care visits in favour of tailored care plans that meet individual needs.
Further complicating the landscape is the uneven distribution of NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding across regions, described by the Nuffield Trust as an unfair “luck of the draw.” Eligibility for CHC, which covers health and social care outside hospitals for those with a primary health need, has declined by 9.1% from mid-2017 to the end of 2024, exacerbating challenges for those reliant on this support. Historical data from the Nuffield Trust points to a long-term decline in social care funding and accessibility. Between 2009/10 and 2016/17, adult social care spending fell by nearly 10%, and a 2014 report showed a 15% real-terms reduction in social care spending for older people between 2009/10 and 2012/13, accompanied by a 26% drop in publicly funded community services received.
Public confidence in the NHS has also sharply diminished, with satisfaction levels collapsing from over 60% pre-pandemic to just 21% today, according to recent analysis by the Nuffield Trust. Research indicates that over 80% of healthcare expenditures in the final year of life are hospital-based, predominantly emergency care, highlighting inefficiencies with end-of-life service provision.
In response to the Age UK report, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged past failures in the care system for elderly people and reiterated government commitment to improvements. Key initiatives include commissioning Baroness Casey to develop a National Care Service roadmap, delivering funding boosts exceeding £4 billion to adult social care, increasing adaptations for disabled individuals, raising the Carer’s Allowance threshold significantly, and implementing the first Fair Pay Agreement aimed at improving workforce recruitment and retention.
As the elderly population continues to grow rapidly—with projections indicating a 19.3% increase in those aged 50 and over by 2044—the demand for integrated, well-funded, and equitable health and social care services is becoming ever more urgent. The various reports and expert voices call for systemic changes to create a sustainable care model that offers dignity, health, and support to Britain’s ageing population.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative is based on a recent report from Age UK, published on 24 September 2024, highlighting the challenges faced by older people in accessing health and social care services. ([ageuk.org.uk](https://www.ageuk.org.uk/discover/2024/september/state-of-health-and-care-of-older-people-in-england-2024/?utm_source=openai)) This indicates high freshness.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The report includes direct quotes from Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, describing the health and care system as being under “unprecedented pressure – in some places, at times virtually under siege.” ([ageuk.org.uk](https://www.ageuk.org.uk/discover/2024/september/state-of-health-and-care-of-older-people-in-england-2024/?utm_source=openai)) These quotes appear to be original to the report, with no earlier matches found.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from Age UK, a reputable charity dedicated to supporting older people in the UK. Their reports are typically well-researched and credible.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about the challenges faced by older people in accessing health and social care services are consistent with previous findings from Age UK and other reputable sources. The report’s recommendations align with ongoing discussions about the need for systemic changes in the care model for the ageing population.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is based on a recent and original report from Age UK, a reputable organisation. The quotes are unique to the report, and the claims are consistent with existing evidence. No significant issues were identified, indicating a high level of credibility.
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