New policy briefing calls for urgent action to support healthy ageing across the UK

A new policy briefing launched this week highlights the urgent need to transform how the UK supports its ageing population. Take Five to Age Well, produced by Age UK, The Open University, PolicyWISE, and national Age sector partners across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, outlines key recommendations for addressing health inequalities and promoting healthier ageing.

With stark disparities in healthy life expectancy across the UK and an NHS under pressure from increasing long-term conditions, the report calls for greater investment in prevention, behaviour change initiatives, and community-based support. It also urges governments across the four nations to embed healthy ageing into national strategies and ensure equitable access to care for older people, particularly those in deprived areas.

The report includes five key policy recommendations, including scaling up community-led health initiatives, leveraging behaviour change models, and tackling gender and regional disparities in health outcomes.

The full briefing is available here.