ARCO Response to RCP report on ageing population

Action needed to secure retirement for a generation of older people

Responding to today’s report from the Royal College of Physicians, Michael Voges, Executive Director of ARCO said:

 

“Britain is sleepwalking towards a crisis in which a whole generation of older people’s retirement is at risk.

 

“The Royal College of Physicians are absolutely right to point out that Britain is simply not adapting to the reality in which over 17 million of us will soon be over 65. Radical change is needed to transform both health and care to avoid the looming crisis.

 

“As well as the challenges facing the NHS the UK housing and care sectors are facing similar, potentially overwhelming challenges.

 

“We need to transform how we deliver care, to help older people remain independent for longer. We need to see a rapid expansion of housing-with-care delivery such as Integrated Retirement Communities – especially since the UK has less than a tenth of the provision available in many similar countries. We need the NHS, care and housing sectors to work together with Government support to ensure that tomorrow’s retirement can be at least as good as today’s.”

 

ENDS