Welcoming Professor Chris Whitty’s Annual Report 2023, David Sinclair, Chief Executive at the International Longevity Centre UK said:

“We are living longer, but unhealthier lives. If we are to maximise the quality of health in older adults, then we need to encourage healthy behaviours throughout our lives.

“The UK Government has repeatedly promised to increase healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035. But across the past decade, the time we spend in good health has decreased and inequalities in our healthy life spans have grown.

“It is unacceptable that there is an 18-year difference in Healthy Life Expectancy between the least and most deprived areas of the country. Where you were born or live shouldn’t impact as much as it does on our health, yet people in the most deprived fifth of the population develop multiple long-term conditions 10 years earlier than those in the least deprived fifth.

“Good health not only makes us happier, but also boosts our ability to work, volunteer, care, and spend in the ways we choose. Many conditions are avoidable, but we’re still spending more money and time curing rather than preventing ill-health.

“For too long politicians have run scared of getting serious on prevention, for fear of the ‘nanny state’ label. I’m all for the ‘nanny state’ if it means we can live well for longer. Any government that is serious about reaping the rewards of an ageing society needs to invest in preventative interventions that work – helping people to take more exercise and eat better, keeping people connected and supported, including at work, and banning the things that make us sick.

“The Government must commit to spending 6% of its healthcare budget on prevention. And in general, public policy on prevention needs to be far bolder and broader.”

Ends

Media contact

Press@ilcuk.org.uk or +44 (0) 7736 124 096. Spokespeople are available on request.

Notes

The UK is currently ranked 16th on ILC’s Healthy Ageing and Prevention Index. The Index ranks 121 countries against six indicators including life span and health span. Prevention Index – ILCUK

ILC-Introducing-the-Healthy-Ageing-and-Prevention-Index-1.pdf (ilcuk.org.uk)

• For some areas. HLE has dropped by almost 7 years over the last decade.

• For men in North East Lincolnshire HLE has reduced by as much as 8.75 years in a decade – this is compared to Rutland where male HLE has improved by over 9 years. Urgent paradigm shift from lifespan to ‘health span’ needed in the UK, argue longevity experts – ILCUK