In the UK, over 11 million people are older than 65 years, while three million are older than 80. In order to meet the challenges of an ageing population, the NHS and social care services need to change to provide compassionate, patientcentred care that keeps people healthy and independent.

Although often talked about as one group, older people are individuals with a variety of health and social care needs. Here, 'older people' generally refers to people over the age of 75, as this is when age becomes clinically significant in terms of drug handling. The fastest growing group of older people is the over 85s €“ the number of people in this age group doubled between 1984 and 2009 to 1.4 million, and estimates suggest that it will double again over the next 20 years and triple over the next 30. Over two-thirds of people in this age group have a disability or long-term illness that requires medication.