Explain the Effects of an Ageing Population in the U.K.
Essay Preview: Explain the Effects of an Ageing Population in the U.K.
Report this essay
Q. Explain the effects of an ageing population in the U.K.
A. There are numerous effects and problems caused by the fact that the population of the U.K. appears to be growing older. Throughout this essay i will attempt to identify these numerous problems, which include economic implications, social implications, Pension factors etc. Then i will attempt to round the essay off with an effective conclusion which will identify the key body of my text and give a general consensus of what i have stated.
In the U.K. it is clinically proven that we have an ageing population. Men live to an average age of 75, which places them 14th in the world ranking table (
future.
The effects of these statistics are as follows. The NHS will soon, if it hasnt
already, become a victim of its own success. The National Health Service was set up as part of the post-war Welfare State. Its original aims were to provide a comprehensive, integrated service free at the point of use. Its intention was to provide the best possible care for all citizens and, wherever possible, prevent ill health.
The NHS has not been able to fully meet these aims due to the unexpected cost of healthcare and an ever-increasing demand for limited resources. The NHS has treated more patients every year and introduced many new treatments. But with limited resources it has had to deal with ill health caused by changes in lifestyle such as obesity, alcoholism and new problems such as AIDS. The care needs of the increasingly elderly population are also putting a significant strain on the NHS. As such it is often said to be a victim of its own success(
Which links in perfectly with my next point, which is the fact that with their being less of a working population which has to supplement a larger retired population, the only conceivable step is to increase the retirement age. This is essential as if the age limit remains as it is, come 2080, the working population simply wont be in enough abundance to afford to pay thae taxes which shall be necessary
to supplement the mammoth number of old people that will be expected to be around then. Also their is no real reason to keep the retirement age as low as it is, as i have already mentioned the standard of living of people in society is and has increased over the past say 40 years. Workers now have so many rights, i.e. they can only work a certain amount of hours, they can only do a certain amount of manual labour etc. Therefore they are more elegible for work further into their sixties and