NHS ‘woefully unprepared’ for care of an ageing England

In the east Midlands, there is just one full-time geriatrician caring for more than 12,500 over-65s. Photograph: Janine Wiedel Photo Library/Alamy

The NHS is “flying blind” and “woefully unprepared” to cope with England’s rapidly ageing population, senior doctors have warned as stark new figures reveal the country has only one full-time geriatrician to care for every 8,000 older people.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said the drastic shortage of specially trained physicians to look after the rising number of elderly people and a lack of NHS workforce planning meant England was “sleepwalking into an avoidable crisis of care for older people”.