For over a hundred years life expectancy has been increasing.  This age shift is both global and personal. We are living longer and many of us are living better, but not all of us.

Half of people aged 55-59 years living in the most deprived areas have the health status of people 25 years older than them living in the least deprived areas.  Closing this healthy ageing gap has been recognised by the Government in its Healthy Ageing Grand Challenge. How should the UK respond to this age shift? How do we improve people’s experience of later life and close the health gap?