We have published the report from our recent policy roundtable on overcoming barriers to implementing age-attuned care. The event, held in October, was attended by the Chief Medical Officer for England and senior leaders from NHS England, medical Royal Colleges, charities, think tanks, and health and social care membership bodies.
The report focuses on the universality of older age and how health systems can be improved to better meet the needs of older people. It takes into account the Ten Year Plan themes of hospital to community, analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and workforce. Our attendees discussed the best ways to overcome barriers to system transformation, and they developed advice for senior leaders looking to improve healthcare for those who depend on it the most – older people.
Despite it being a difficult time for the healthcare sector, attendees at our event felt that care for older people could be transformed. They pointed to positive examples of transformation already happening across the country. Our roundtable attendees called on system leaders to work with us to implement age-attuned health systems to ensure that services deliver high-quality care for older people.
Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, BGS President, said:
We were pleased to bring together such a high-calibre group of senior leaders to discuss older people’s healthcare, and we thank everyone who participated in our event. We are all ageing, and by improving health systems for older people now, we are investing in our own future care. We urge leaders to be strategic in renewing their commitment to joined-up, person-centred care for older people who depend on the NHS, many of whom live with long-term conditions, including frailty and dementia. It is essential that system leaders use the opportunity and framework provided by the Ten Year Health Plan to develop age-attuned systems so that we can all access high quality care, where and when we need it."
