Ageing population

As the population ages, so the prevalence of disease and long-term conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and dementia grows. In particular there is a sharp rise in the number of people with co-morbidities, requiring more complex decision making in terms of treatment and medication. Acute physicians increasingly become the first point of care for patients and need to be able to integrate information in challenging cases. They also need to provide an accurate assessment of risk, particularly for patients with pre-existing interventions.

Proposed workforce impact

• There is increased demand for acute medical care.
• There are increased training and education requirements.
• More multidisciplinary working and collaboration across the healthcare workforce takes place.

Sources or references

• www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_258607.pdf

Additional research questions

• How much will demand for services increase?

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.