Our manifesto for the 2019 General Election

13 November 2019

The upcoming general election offers an opportunity to promote key issues affecting the healthcare of older people across the UK. By publishing Our manifesto for the 2019 General Election we are helping to raise awareness and understanding among key opinion-formers and decision-makers, including parliamentary candidates, of the work of the Society and the unique expertise of our members. 

We are at a crucial point in time regarding the care of older people. People are living longer and in better health than ever before, but the UK’s population is rapidly ageing – it is projected that in 50 years, there will be an additional 8.6 million people aged 65 and over. Many older people have made and continue to make a significant contribution to society through raising families and paying taxes throughout their working lives and through volunteering and caring for others in their retirement. Our ageing population is therefore something to be celebrated and cherished. However, an ageing population also brings its challenges which include more people than ever before living with complex needs.

The NHS Long Term Plan sets out proposals that could have a real impact on older people and those who care for them, if properly implemented and funded. An opportunity exists now for the incoming Government to take decisive action and make the UK the best place in the world in which to grow old.

In order to do this, they must prioritise the following areas:

  1. Providing a lasting solution to the social care crisis

  2. Integrating services between health and social care, and between primary and acute care

  3. Enabling access to high-quality care and support that is appropriate to older people’s needs including a comprehensive geriatric assessment and personalised care and support plan

  4. Ensuring that the health and social care workforce is fully and sustainably resourced

  5. Prioritising prevention of ill health to help older people stay healthier for longer

 

If you have any questions about this general election manifesto, please contact Sally Greenbrook, Policy Manager, at s [dot] greenbrook [at] bgs [dot] org [dot] uk. If you have a media enquiry, please contact Marina Mello, Communications, PR and Media Manager at m [dot] mello [at] bgs [dot] org [dot] uk.