The Ageing Population course for GPs

This session discusses the aspects of elderly population demographics and the effect of ageing of the population.

This session was reviewed by Khyati Bakhai and last updated in September 2020.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe how the UK’s population is ageing
• Discuss the factors that impact on the demographic changes of population
• Outline the effects that an ageing population may have on the health, social and economic wellbeing of the nation
• Recognise the problem of age discrimination

The median age of the world’s population is increasing due to an increased average life span and reduced fertility. The growing elderly population in the UK contributes to incidence of chronic conditions such as musculoskeletal and circulatory diseases. Such a trend raises concerns related to long-term health care, and is expected to increase demands on the health care and social care services.