‘Best Health for Older People in Warwickshire’ – NHS Warwickshire report
NHS Warwickshire has now published its Joint Director of Public Health Annual Report. The report, entitled Best Health for Older People in Warwickshire, includes information on services, priority areas and detailed local population profiles.
As well as highlighting the achievements of key screening and vaccination programmes, the report contains valuable insight into the health of local people, focussing on the needs of Warwickshire’s ageing population.
The overview of the report details how the population of Warwickshire is ageing at a faster rate than the national average. The highest rates of projected population growth are among the age groups 65 and over who are expected to account for over a quarter of the population by 2033.
The report also spells out how inequalities continue to persist in this population as, for example, men aged 65 living in Warwick are expected to live two years longer than men aged 65 living in the North of the county.
Another key point in the report is the challenge faced by older people living in rural areas of Warwickshire. The rural population of the county is ageing faster than in urban areas and as a result, their health needs are expected to grow more rapidly. Older people who are living alone in these areas may find it more difficult to access services.
John Linnane, Joint Director of Public Health said: “In Warwickshire, we are committed to ensuring that our older population have the best possible health. The report identifies areas of need and health inequality and will act as a focus for future work with our partners to reduce the health gap in our county.
"The report also sets out our plans for the coming year and beyond in terms of promoting the health, independence and well-being of older people and reducing the impact of frailty.”
The report can be seen on NHS Warwickshire website, http://www.warwickshire.nhs.uk.