Latest news with #workingage
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Unfair NHS waiting lists' revealed in official report
More than half of the overall NHS waiting list for non urgent treatment in England is made up of people of working age (19 to 64), the first official deep dive into inequalities in waiting lists has found. The data shows, for those aged 18 to 64, waiting lists for gynaecology are the biggest. And women make up a higher proportion of those waiting (57%), compared to men, in all cases where sex is recorded. NHS England officials say the figures should help hospitals address "unfair waits" for planned care among the communities who wait the longest. NHS trusts are being asked to use the data to understand and reduce inequalities faced by patients. Patients in the poorest communities and those from Asian or Asian British backgrounds are more likely to wait longer than 18 weeks than any other group, the report says. Some 3.1% of patients living in the most deprived areas were waiting more than 12 months to begin treatment at the end of June compared to 2.7% in the least deprived. Figures show:56% of the overall waiting list is made up of people aged 19 to 64a third of those waiting are aged 65 and overamong over 65s, ophthalmology has the greatest backlogwomen are more likely to be waiting over 18 weeks for treatment than menwomen are also more likely than men to wait for more than 52 weeksHealth and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: "Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Only by being upfront and shining a light on inequalities can we begin to tackle the problem."He added that the recently announced 10 year health plan would tackle health inequalities by diverting billions of pounds to working class communities, and provide targeted care to all patients where they live, via a neighbourhood health centres will be rolled out first in places where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including deindustrialised cities and coastal towns. Gynaecology has had one of the worst waiting lists across the UK for a number of Ranee Thakar, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "At the moment, women in the most deprived areas face some of the longest waits, threatening to entrench existing health inequalities."Delays can lead to a need for more complex treatment and significantly impact women's health, wellbeing, and daily lives."She added that it has been encouraging to see wait lists begin to fall in recent months, with NHS staff "working tirelessly" to deliver more appointments.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NHS waiting lists: Working age people a growing proportion of those needing help
People of working age are making up a growing proportion of those on the NHS waiting list for treatment in England, according to analysis. Data tables published for the first time by NHS England also show people in the most deprived parts of the country are more likely to wait more than a year to start hospital treatment than those in the least deprived. The figures, analysed by the PA news agency, show 56.1% of those on the list at the end of June this year were of working age (defined as age 19 to 64), up from 55.8% a year ago and 55.0% in June 2022. At the same time, the proportion of people on the waiting list under the age of 19 has fallen, standing at 10.8% in June this year, down from 11.2% a year earlier and 11.9% in June 2022. The proportion who are over 65 has remained broadly unchanged at around 33.1%. People of working age are also more likely to have to wait more than a year to start treatment (3.0% of patients in this age group at the end of June) than those over 65 (2.5%). However, the proportion is the same as those under 19 (also 3.0%). Meanwhile, people in the most deprived parts of England also face long waits for treatment when compared with those in the wealthiest areas. And for data where sex is recorded, women make up a higher percentage of the waiting list (57%) compared with men (43%). Women are also more likely to be waiting more than 18 and 52 weeks than men. On deprivation, some 3.1% of patients living in the most deprived areas had been waiting more than 12 months to begin treatment at the end of June, compared with 2.7% in the least deprived. The gap is even wider in some regions, with the figures for the Midlands ranging from 3.0% in the most deprived parts to 2.4% in the least deprived; from 2.4% to 1.8% in London; and from 4.9% to 4.0% in eastern England. The data also shows patients in certain ethnic groups are more likely to have to wait more than a year to start hospital treatment than in others. Some 3.2% of patients in England identifying as Bangladeshi had been waiting more than 12 months to begin treatment at the end of June, along with 3.0% of patients of Pakistani and African backgrounds, higher proportions than those identifying as Caribbean (2.9%), Chinese (2.8%), British (2.8%) or Indian (2.7%). Eastern England and south-west England are the regions with the largest ethnicity gap for people waiting more than a year to begin hospital treatment. The Government has announced new neighbourhood health centres in its 10-year plan for the NHS, which will be targeted first at the places where healthy life expectancy is lowest. According to the Department of Health, this includes 'de-industrialised cities and coastal towns, reducing the estimated £240-£330 billion cost of sickness to the economy.' Some 20 'further faster' teams have also been sent in to those NHS trusts with the longest waits to try to bring them down. The new data shows the largest specialty for those on the waiting list aged 18-64 is gynaecology (12% of all 18 to 64-year-olds), while it is ophthalmology for older adults. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'We inherited an NHS which after years of neglect had left all patients worse off – but some more than others. 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Only by being upfront and shining a light on inequalities can we begin to tackle the problem. 'We will give all patients the care they need when they need it as part of our Plan for Change. 'Our 10-Year Health Plan will tackle health inequalities faced across the country, diverting billions of pounds to working-class communities, and providing truly targeted, bespoke care to all patients where they live via the neighbourhood health service.' Stella Vig, NHS national clinical director for elective care, said: 'Understanding patient demographics is vital if we are to identify and tackle the way different groups are treated. 'As well as allowing patients and the public to see the makeup of local lists, NHS teams will be able to analyse the latest data, understand where there is unwarranted variation in waiting times, and work with their communities to take action to reduce it.' Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: 'This is a great step in making ethnic health inequities more visible. 'Without robust, consistent data and transparency about what's happening in the healthcare system, we will not be able to enable genuine equitable decision making in the NHS, nor tackle and eradicate ethnic and racial inequalities in health in a sustained and meaningful way.' It comes as the Government announced that patients with long-term conditions will be automatically referred to specialist charities at the point of diagnosis from next year. Diagnosis Connect will ensure patients are referred directly to charities and support organisations in a move the Government says will 'complement, not replace', NHS care.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
NHS waiting lists: Working age people a growing proportion of those needing help
People of working age are making up a growing proportion of those on the NHS waiting list for treatment in England, according to analysis. Data tables published for the first time by NHS England also show people in the most deprived parts of the country are more likely to wait more than a year to start hospital treatment than those in the least deprived. The figures, analysed by the PA news agency, show 56.1% of those on the list at the end of June this year were of working age (defined as age 19 to 64), up from 55.8% a year ago and 55.0% in June 2022. At the same time, the proportion of people on the waiting list under the age of 19 has fallen, standing at 10.8% in June this year, down from 11.2% a year earlier and 11.9% in June 2022. The proportion who are over 65 has remained broadly unchanged at around 33.1%. People of working age are also more likely to have to wait more than a year to start treatment (3.0% of patients in this age group at the end of June) than those over 65 (2.5%). However, the proportion is the same as those under 19 (also 3.0%). Meanwhile, people in the most deprived parts of England also face long waits for treatment when compared with those in the wealthiest areas. And for data where sex is recorded, women make up a higher percentage of the waiting list (57%) compared with men (43%). Women are also more likely to be waiting more than 18 and 52 weeks than men. On deprivation, some 3.1% of patients living in the most deprived areas had been waiting more than 12 months to begin treatment at the end of June, compared with 2.7% in the least deprived. The gap is even wider in some regions, with the figures for the Midlands ranging from 3.0% in the most deprived parts to 2.4% in the least deprived; from 2.4% to 1.8% in London; and from 4.9% to 4.0% in eastern England. The data also shows patients in certain ethnic groups are more likely to have to wait more than a year to start hospital treatment than in others. Some 3.2% of patients in England identifying as Bangladeshi had been waiting more than 12 months to begin treatment at the end of June, along with 3.0% of patients of Pakistani and African backgrounds, higher proportions than those identifying as Caribbean (2.9%), Chinese (2.8%), British (2.8%) or Indian (2.7%). Eastern England and south-west England are the regions with the largest ethnicity gap for people waiting more than a year to begin hospital treatment. The Government has announced new neighbourhood health centres in its 10-year plan for the NHS, which will be targeted first at the places where healthy life expectancy is lowest. According to the Department of Health, this includes 'de-industrialised cities and coastal towns, reducing the estimated £240-£330 billion cost of sickness to the economy.' Some 20 'further faster' teams have also been sent in to those NHS trusts with the longest waits to try to bring them down. The new data shows the largest specialty for those on the waiting list aged 18-64 is gynaecology (12% of all 18 to 64-year-olds), while it is ophthalmology for older adults. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'We inherited an NHS which after years of neglect had left all patients worse off – but some more than others. 'Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Only by being upfront and shining a light on inequalities can we begin to tackle the problem. 'We will give all patients the care they need when they need it as part of our Plan for Change. 'Our 10-Year Health Plan will tackle health inequalities faced across the country, diverting billions of pounds to working-class communities, and providing truly targeted, bespoke care to all patients where they live via the neighbourhood health service.' Stella Vig, NHS national clinical director for elective care, said: 'Understanding patient demographics is vital if we are to identify and tackle the way different groups are treated. 'As well as allowing patients and the public to see the makeup of local lists, NHS teams will be able to analyse the latest data, understand where there is unwarranted variation in waiting times, and work with their communities to take action to reduce it.' Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said: 'This is a great step in making ethnic health inequities more visible. 'Without robust, consistent data and transparency about what's happening in the healthcare system, we will not be able to enable genuine equitable decision making in the NHS, nor tackle and eradicate ethnic and racial inequalities in health in a sustained and meaningful way.' It comes as the Government announced that patients with long-term conditions will be automatically referred to specialist charities at the point of diagnosis from next year. Diagnosis Connect will ensure patients are referred directly to charities and support organisations in a move the Government says will 'complement, not replace', NHS care.
Irish Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Some 2.4m people were receiving social protection payments last year
Spiralling numbers of pensioners and people on disability payments are driving a social welfare bill that has increased by more than a third in a decade, new data shows. Expenditure on welfare payments was €27 billion last year, up from €19.9 billion in 2015. The largest increases were in disability, illness and carers' payments – up from €3.5 billion in 2015 to €6 billion last year (a rise of more than 70 per cent) – and in pensions , where the spend has increased from €6.7 billion 10 years ago to €11.1 billion last year (up 62 per cent). The data is contained in the 2024 annual report on statistical information on social welfare services, published on Thursday by the Department of Social Protection . READ MORE Child-related payments, including the universal child benefit and the one-parent family payment, cost €2.5 billion in 2015 and €3.3 billion last year – a 31 per cent increase. However, working-age supports, such as jobseekers allowance and benefit, and maternity benefit, have decreased by 8 per cent from €4.5 billion to €4 billion since 2015. An even sharper decrease has been seen in working-age employment supports, such as the community employment scheme, where the spend dropped 37 per cent, from €1 billion in 2015 to €661 million last year. There were 2,416,223 people getting a welfare payment at the end of last year, up from 2,113,860 in 2015 – a 14.3 per cent increase. Larger increases are seen in illness, disability and caring payments, from 340,304 recipients at the end of 2015 to 452,572 last year – a 33 per cent rise. The number of pensioners went up from 577,331 in 2015 to 757,425 last year – a 31 per cent rise. The largest increase was in child beneficiaries of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) – a monthly payment of €360 to carers of disabled children up to age 16 – which has more than doubled. Despite an arduous application process for the DCA, the number of children qualifying for it has gone up from 31,628 in 2015 to 64,729 last year (or by 104 per cent). In demographic terms, the greatest number of beneficiaries last year were 15-year-old boys (39,883), most likely from the €140 per month child benefit payment, and, similarly, 14-year-old girls (38,207). The fewest payments in volume were made to 94-year-old men (1,189) and 94-year-old women (2,510), probably in receipt of the State pension (€288 per week non-contributory for those aged 80 and older, or up to €302.90 for contributory) as well other payments including fuel allowance and living alone allowance. In total, the report said: 'Expenditure in 2024 represented 21.6 per cent of general Government expenditure and was equivalent to 6.7 per cent of gross national income.' About 58 per cent were female and 42 per cent male, with 36 per cent of them children up to 18, and 25 per cent aged 66 or older.
Forbes
31-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Raising The Retirement Age Also Requires Employment Policy Reform
Last week, Denmark passed legislation to raise its retirement age to 70 in 2040, positioning the country to have the highest statutory pension eligibility worldwide. But Denmark is not alone. Many other countries in Europe and Asia are making similar moves in response to demographic shifts. The OECD projects that by 2060, the average retirement age in the EU will approach 67, with several countries expected to reach age 70 or more. However, pension reform is only a partial solution. Without protections for older workers, systemic ageism will continue to reduce employment opportunities–risking increased unemployment and poverty. Governments are responding to increasing longevity and declining birth rates. This demographic duo produces older populations and shrinks the labor force, pressuring the sustainability of pension systems designed for shorter lives and larger labor pools. The OECD projects that age-related spending could increase by 6.5 percentage points of GDP between 2021 and 2060. Few governments can sustain multi-decade retirements on a mass scale. As it is, many pensions are inadequate to support independent living. In 2022, the EU had nearly 30 working-age people (20 to 64) for every 10 people aged 65 or older. By 2045, the ratio is expected to drop below 20 for every 10. In China, the retirement age is one of the lowest: 60 for men, 55 for white-collar women and 50 for women in factories. Yet, China's National Health Commission projects that the over-60 population will grow from 280 million in 2022 to more than 400 million by 2035. A decade ago, 10 workers supported each retiree. Today, it's only five. By 2050, it may only be two. Even the U.S. has discussed the possibility of increasing the age for full social security benefits from 67 to 70. However, raising the retirement age creates additional economic challenges. For pension reform to be successful, it requires parallel employment policy reform. Pension reforms are needed. But without systems to support continued hiring, development and retention of older workers, economic insecurity for older workers only increases. Older workers face systemic employment barriers. A 2022 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed workplace age discrimination as a leading indicator of financial instability and heightened poverty risk. Once unemployed, older workers struggle to find re-employment for months or years–often without success. Millions lack retirement savings. The Pew Charitable Trusts reports that in the U.S., as many as 56 million private sector workers lack an employer-sponsored retirement plan. One in five people over 50 have no savings at all. Almost 40% worry about meeting basic living costs such as food and housing. For these people, working indefinitely is the only option for financial security. The consequences of extended unemployment include rising homelessness. The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress reported that one in every five people experiencing homelessness was aged 55 or older, with more than 104,000 people experiencing homelessness between the ages of 55 and 64. Another 42,150 people were 65 or older. The report noted that 'nearly half of adults aged 55 or older (46%) were experiencing unsheltered homelessness in places not meant for human habitation.' Homelessness becomes a discriminating factor because most employers refuse to hire people who do not have permanent residence. Once homeless, people find it challenging to re-home, leading to a cycle of chronic homelessness. Some countries are already pairing reform with protective policies, usually falling into one or more of the following four categories: 2. Flexible Retirement and Work Arrangements 3. Targeted Support and Training 4. Income Support for Vulnerable Older Workers Denmark, Netherlands, Germany and the U.K. are notable for integrating flexible retirement options, retraining, and robust legal protections as they raise the retirement age. The U.S. has foundational protections for older workers through the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act; however, these laws have limitations, particularly in enforcement and the burden of proof. Despite numerous legislative proposals to strengthen protections (like POWADA), legislation has stalled in committees for years. As a result, age discrimination remains widespread, and older workers—especially those in their 50s and 60s—face significant barriers to employment, increasing the risk of poverty as retirement ages rise. Since the Trump administration has begun slashing government funding, protections for older workers are disappearing. For example, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), the only federal job training program specifically for low-income seniors, is currently facing complete defunding in 2026. The SCSEP specifically provides job training, reskilling and part-time employment opportunities for low-income, unemployed individuals aged 55 and older. A 2025 report ranks U.S. states from best to worst for older workers. Leading the way are Washington, New Hampshire, Alaska, Maryland and Colorado. These states offer strong labor markets, pay transparency, remote work opportunities, and higher median incomes for seniors. They also provide additional protections and workforce development initiatives that help older workers remain employed. The worst states for older workers include Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, West Virginia and Kentucky. These states tended to have higher rates of age discrimination at work, the lowest household incomes and few remote workers among older adults–coupled with a poor entrepreneurial environment. 'Increasing retirement ages have become a prevalent measure taken around the world to address the sustainability of pension systems. However, doing so requires a comprehensive approach that considers broader social, economic, labor market, and health-related factors,' according to a 2024 report from the International Labour Organization. Smart countries are investing in a longevity-centric policy. Instead of viewing ageing populations as an economic threat, they recognize a willing and untapped talent pool. Leveraging older workers is always a smart move, but it is essential in a shrinking labor market. Raising the retirement age may be a necessary step. But without additional employment protections, pathways and purpose, it risks leaving millions behind. In an age of longevity, ageing populations are not a threat to prosperity—they're a key to unlocking it.
