Prioritise quality of life over prolonging it for elderly, Chris Whitty tells medics

‘The question should be what do people want themselves,’ Whitty said. Photograph: Sean Prior/Alamy

England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has called for a cultural shift in medicine away from maximising lifespan and towards improving quality of life in old age, arguing that sometimes this means “less medicine, not more”.

Speaking before the publication of his 2023 annual report, which this year focuses on health in an ageing society, Whitty said doctors needed to have more realistic conversations with patients about the risk of some treatments extending life at the expense of quality of life and independence.