News alert / Ageing population: CMO warning

The fact that people are living longer compared with a century ago is a triumph of public health, according to England chief medical officer Chris Whitty. But we need to focus on maximising older people's independence and minimising their time in ill health. His annual report called for two complementary approaches towards people in old age: reduce disease to prevent, delay or minimise disability and frailty; and change the environment so that people can maintain their independence longer. The geography of older age in England is already skewed towards rural, coastal and other peripheral areas, and will become more so, said the report, so efforts around ill health should focus on areas where need will be greatest. Older people are under-served in healthcare, the report said, with fewer accessible transport links and insufficient infrastructure, so providing services and environments suitable for older adults is a priority. The report also called for accelerated research into multi-morbidity, frailty and social care and a focus on generalist medical skills – the increasing specialisation of the medical profession runs counter to optimising treatment for older people.