Age UK responds to Government's 10 year NHS plan and neighbourhood services

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said:

"A Neighbourhood Health Service is at the heart of the NHS 10 Year Plan, and it could be a game-changer for our older population if we get it right. For far too long healthcare in the community has been fragmented and hard to access and navigate for older people, so crucial opportunities to nip their emerging health problems in the bud get missed. At Age UK we aspire to an NHS that proactively supports older people to stay as well as is possible for as long as possible, and if delivered well the Neighbourhood Health Service really could help achieve it."                                                                                                      

Also as part of the launch of the 10 year plan Age UK has also issued the following response to how managing healthcare could be as easy as online banking with a transformed NHS app:

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said:  

"It's clear that technology is set to transform many aspects of our lives for the better over the next decade, including the delivery of healthcare and how we interact with the NHS.   

“The potential of the NHS App for example, is truly exciting, but we must also ensure that no one is left behind, including the many millions of older people who are not online and who often want and need to use more traditional means of communication, such as telephone and face to face.   

“The Government's commitment to a digitally inclusive approach is really important in building public trust. It is also essential for the NHS's promise of being equally accessible to continue to hold true in our increasingly digital world. The voluntary sector can certainly help by supporting people who are not digital natives and at Age UK we look forward to playing our part in this way."