Oxfordshire’s top public health official today makes a stark warning about the state of the county’s health.
The annual public health report has pointed to a series of long-term threats to the health of residents and also the problems which could stretch NHS services.
It seems we are getting fatter, drinking more alcohol, but managing – somehow – to live longer!
Dr Jonathan McWilliam, Oxfordshire’s health director and author of the report, is concerned about the impact on services as people live longer.
The question is: what to do about it?
By 2029 the number of people who are over 85 will have increased by a staggering 150 per cent in Cherwell, the Vale of White Horse and west Oxfordshire and by about 125 per cent in south Oxfordshire.
A key concern worry is a 20 per cent rise in dementia, caused by an increasingly elderly population.
This is already putting a huge stress on services.
It is perhaps something the Government should be mindful about when reining in public spending – we hope they remember our priorities.
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