How the East of England is leading the way on innovation for healthy ageing

The East of England is ageing more rapidly than the rest of the country. Between 2011 and 2021, the region’s population grew by 8.3%, the highest rate of any UK region (1), but its age profile tells a more significant story. The largest age group in the East is between 50 and 54 years, compared with 30 and 34 nationally (2). Older couples make up 10% of households, and older single people 13% (3). These figures underline an urgent reality: the East of England must adapt and innovate for healthy ageing.

The region’s shifting demographics should be framed as a catalyst for economic and social renewal. By harnessing technology and health innovation, the region can extend not only life expectancy but healthy life expectancy - enabling people to remain physically active, socially connected and economically engaged for longer. Given the population profile, it is essential that regional policy experts and public service providers start to factor this into their plans.

Healthy ageing matters

Not acting will have severe consequences on society and the public purse. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that an ageing population will reshape labour markets, pensions, tax revenues, public spending and caring responsibilities (4). The ‘dependency ratio’, the number of people of working age in relation to the number of retirees will shrink - currently 4 people of working age support each British pensioner, this is expected to become 2 by 2050 (5). Without intervention, rising demand for health and social care will continue to load strain onto the NHS, local authorities, and other formal and informal care structures.

The reverse is also true: helping people live healthier, more mobile, lives into older age can reduce demand on the NHS, sustain local productivity, and strengthen social capital. More active older residents are not only less dependent on healthcare, they also continue to contribute significant value through work, volunteering, and civic participation. In a region where older people already represent a large proportion of the population, such contributions could be transformative (2).

The Centre for Ageing Better’s ‘State of Ageing 2025’ report underlines this point: people in good health are far more likely to remain in the workforce, continue learning and contribute actively to their communities (6). Conversely, ill health in later life is one of the strongest predictors of economic inactivity.

Communities enriched

Health Innovation East has demonstrated what’s possible when technology meets local needs.

They supported the rollout and evaluation of KiActiv, a platform that combines a wearable activity monitor, a simple online dashboard and one-to-one mentoring. Piloted in Suffolk and North East Essex for patients in cardiac rehabilitation, KiActiv empowers people to manage their daily activity levels and energy balance. The results were so promising that in August 2025 NICE conditionally recommended KiActiv for wider NHS adoption (7). This means more people across the East of England can benefit from personalised support to remain active, independent and fulfilled.

Another powerful innovation has emerged in lower-limb wound care. Leg ulcers are estimated cost to the NHS of £3.1 billion each year. These chronic wounds, which have a higher prevalence as people age, are not just painful - they are economically debilitating. A Health Innovation Network review found that 42% of nonworking patients with leg ulcers said their condition contributed to their decision to exit employment. Working with test sites nationwide, Health Innovation East led a new wound care protocol, which achieved 84% healing rates at 12 months compared with just 37% under standard care. The implications are enormous: reduced NHS costs, restored mobility and - most importantly - restored lives (8).

These examples show that the benefits of technology are not abstract, rather they are concerned with real people regaining the ability to walk, work and socialise; about families freed from caring burdens; about communities enriched.

The ripple effects

Innovating for health reaches far beyond clinical settings. If older residents remain in the labour market longer, businesses benefit from their experience and resilience. The perception of older workers correctly shifts from being a liability to an asset (9). The Exchequer gains from higher tax revenues and local economies see boosts in spending and entrepreneurship (6).

Equally important is the effect on social capital. Healthier, more mobile people are more likely to participate in community life - whether through volunteering, mentoring or simply being present in social spaces. Each strengthens the collective bonds that underpin well-functioning societies (10) and in turn helps tackle loneliness, which is itself a significant health risk (11).

A clinical and political imperative

Dr Peter Prinsley MP (Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket)

Dr Peter Prinsley MP, who brings both clinical experience and parliamentary perspective, has argued that the East of England cannot afford to view ageing as a passive trend.

“We need to think about ageing as an opportunity,” he says. “The challenge is not simply that people are living longer, but whether they are living well. With the right innovations, we can keep more people healthy, independent, and productive. That benefits everyone - individuals, families, the NHS, and the economy”.

Taking action

 

The message is clear: innovating for an ageing population is an economic and social necessity. To succeed, the region’s decision makers should prioritise three things:

• Scaling proven innovations – tools like KiActiv require implementation - so that benefits scale fast. As the experts in implementing health innovation, Health Innovation East can help here.

• Reforming structures and perceptions – employers, health and care systems and policymakers must adjust to a society where older people are active participants. Eastern Powerhouse have a powerful voice here.

• Investing in social capital – healthy ageing is not just about physical and economic mobility; it is about sustaining networks of connection and meaning among an increasingly diverse older population, for the benefit of all.

The East of England already leads the UK in recognising the realities of demographic change. By embracing health innovation the region can also lead in creating further opportunity - building a healthier society where longer lives deliver a shared advantage.

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References

1. Barton, C. et al. (2024). The UK's changing population. [Online]. commonslibrary.co.uk. Last Updated: 16 July. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/the-uks-changing-population/ [Accessed 2 September 2025].

   
   

2.  Office for National Statistics. (2022). How the population changed in East Cambridgeshire: Census 2021. [Online]. ons.gov.uk. Last Updated: 28 June. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E07000009/ [Accessed 2 September 2025].

   
   

3. McNair, S. (2022). Who are we? Findings from the census. [Online]. eastangliabylines.co.uk. Last Updated: 7 November. Available at: https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/regions/anglia/east-anglia-census-findings/ [Accessed 2 September 2025].

   
   

4. Warner, M. (2022). The economic consequences of the UK’s ageing population. [Online]. ifs.org.uk. Last Updated: 7 March. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/articles/economic-consequences-uks-ageing-population [Accessed 2 September 2025].

   
   

5. Royal Geographic Society. (2025). Britain's aging population. [Online]. rgs.org. Available at: https://www.rgs.org/schools/resources-for-schools/britains-ageing-population [Accessed 17 September 2025].

6. Centre for Ageing Better. (2025). https://ageing-better.org.uk/our-ageing-population-state-ageing-2025#:~:text=Our%20Ageing%20Population%20%7C%20The%20Sta. [Online]. ageing-better.org.uk. Available at: https://ageing-better.org.uk/our-ageing-population-state-ageing-2025 [Accessed 2 September 2025].

   
   

7. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2025). Six digital platforms supporting at home cardiac rehab given conditional recommendations. [Online]. nice.org.uk. Last Updated: 19 August. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/six-digital-technologies-to-support-cardiac-rehabilitation-con [Accessed 2 September 2025].

8. Health Innovation Network. (2023). National Wound Care Strategy programme. [Online]. thehealthinnovationnetwork.co.uk. Available at: https://thehealthinnovationnetwork.co.uk/programmes/wound-care/national-woundcare-strategy-programme [Accessed 2 September 2025].

   
   

9. British Medical Association. (2019). Ageing and the workplace. [Online]. bma.org.uk. Last Updated: September. Available at: www.bma.org.uk/media/4271/bma_ageing-and-the-workplace_oct_2019.pdf [Accessed 2 September 2025].

10. Social Mobility Commission. (2023). Overview: the Social Mobility Index. [Online]. gov.uk. Last Updated: 12 May. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mobility-index/overview-the-social-mobility-index [Accessed 2 September 2025].

    
    

11. The Lancet. (2023). Loneliness as a health issue. The Lancet. 402(10396), p.79. [Online]. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01411-3/fulltext [Accessed 8 September 2025].