Ageing Well

Narrative

Demographic Information

Currently older adults (aged 65+) make up 14% of Barnet’s population. We see an increase in the number of older adults living in Barnet based on projections to 2043. The proportion of older adults in Barnet varies by geography. The wards with the highest proportion of people aged 65+ in Barnet include Garden Suburb and Golders Green.

Barnet is a diverse borough. Although across Barnet the most common ethnicity was White (English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British), there are variations between wards seen in Census 2021 data for adults aged 65+. Barnet’s overall deprivation level (IMD score) is lower than the London and national averages. However pockets of high deprivation exist, some of which make up the most 20% deprived areas of England. This is split by MSOA, with Grahame Park showing the highest IMD score across Barnet. Income deprivation affecting older people (IDAOPI) is a measure of the proportion of all those aged 60 and over experiencing deprivation relating to low income (based on people who are not in work, or who are in work but have low incomes). Areas of highest deprivation do not necessarily correlate with IMD data nor areas with a higher proportion of the population aged 65+.

Behavioural Risk Factors

Data on smoking cessation uptake in Barnet is summarised for age groups for 2020/21 to 2022/23. Episodes refer to a single presentation to smoking cessation services, so would count an individual presenting more than once in the financial year as a distinct episode. Since 2021/22, there has been decrease in the total number of episodes.

Alcohol use and its impacts on health and wellbeing of populations is well-documented and has been identified as a causal factor in many medical conditions. During 2023/24 , hospital admission rates for alcohol-related conditions for those aged 40-64 in Barnet were lower compared to London and England averages.

Obesity carries significant health risks for a variety of chronic diseases. Data from North Central London ICB (recently formed West and North London ICB) up to July 2025 provides comparison of obesity prevalence across broad ethnic groups in Barnet. Note ethnic group is classified in broad categories, so would not account for increased risks within ethnic groups. Across people aged 18+, the percentage of obesity and severe obesity was highest for those from ‘Black’ ethnic groups (36.7 %), compared to the lowest percentage seen in mixed ethnic groups (16.7 %).

Physical inactivity contributes to the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and is associated with decreased functional capacity in older people. 19% of adults in Barnet are physically inactive. Data from Sport England and the Active Lives surveys show a considerable increase in the percentage of Barnet residents aged 16+ who are active for at least 150 minutes per week, and a subsequent decrease in the percentage of fairly active (between 30-149 minutes per week) and inactive Barnet residents (up to 30 minutes per week). It’s worth noting that in 2022/23 the percentage of Barnet residents being active for at least 150 minutes per week was higher (71%) than England (64.4%) and London (64.3%). In addition Sport England data show that the level of volunteering to support sports and physical activity has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

For further information on physical activity in Barnet, please visit the Fit and Active Framework and the Fit and Active Hub.

Health Protection

There are 3 vaccines offered to adults as part of the routine immunisation schedule:

Influenza: Following an increase between 2018/19 and 2020/21, flu vaccination uptake among people aged 65 years and over in Barnet has declined. By 2024/25, uptake was below the England average but remained above the London average.
PPV: Certain population groups, including older adults, are more susceptible to severe pneumococcal disease. The PPV protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria and is offered as a single dose to people aged 65 and over. In 2024/25, coverage in Barnet was above pre-pandemic levels at 70.4%.
Shingles: The shingles vaccine aims to reduce both the incidence and severity of the disease by boosting pre-existing immunity. In 2022/23, 43.9% of eligible individuals in the 65+ age group in Barnet received the vaccine.

The UK offers national screening programmes for breast, cervical, and bowel cancer, alongside targeted lung health checks for individuals at higher risk of lung cancer. In Barnet, breast cancer screening coverage has recovered to pre-pandemic levels; however, it remains significantly lower than the England average, although higher than the London average. In contrast, bowel cancer screening coverage has increased steadily and, in recent years, has risen at a faster rate than the London average. Despite this progress, coverage remains below the national average. The NHS also offers screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a condition associated with a high risk of mortality if left untreated. In Barnet, AAA screening coverage has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels and is statistically similar to the England average while remaining significantly higher than the London average.

Health and Social Care

Hospital Admissions: For the period 2022/23, Barnet residents aged 50+ had 64,885 admissions to hospitals. Most residents were admitted Barnet General Hospital, this is followed closely by the Royal Free Hospital and Edgware Community Hospital.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Diabetes: In Barnet, while the prevalence of CVD-related conditions is lower than the national average, it’s higher than the NCL average. There is a rising prevalence of diabetes in barnet for people aged 17+.

Musculoskeletal Health and Falls: Osteoporosis is a condition that leads to increased bone fragility and a higher risk of fractures. In 2023/24, the recorded prevalence of osteoporosis among individuals aged 50 and over in Barnet was 1.4%, compared to 1.1% across England and 0.7% in London. Falls are a major health concern, often leading to long-term care needs for older adults. In 2023/24 in Barnet, the number of emergency admissions for hip fractures among individuals aged 65 and older was 445 per 100,000 of the population.

Social Care: NHS England data show that the rate of clients accessing long term support aged 65+ years in Barnet was higher in 2022/23 than both the England average, but lower than London. There has been a steady increase in the rate of clients accessing long term support aged 18-64 years in Barnet, and this rate is currently similar to the English average, but significantly higher than the London region average.

In Barnet in 2021/22 the rate of admission to residential or nursing care was 543 admissions per 100,000 of the population aged 65+. Future projections suggest an increase in care home residents. Unpaid carers, often older adults, play a vital role in social care support. Self-reported data from the 2021 Census suggested 10% of adults aged 65+ in Barnet were unpaid carers.

Wider Determinants:

Employment rates among Barnet residents aged 50 to 64 fell to 73.9% in 2024/25, down from a peak of 79.3% in 2017/18. However, despite this decline, the employment rate remains at its highest level since 2020/21.

Older homelessness, defined as affecting people aged 55 years and over, is an increasing concern due to the accelerated ageing and poorer health outcomes associated with long-term homelessness. In 2024/25, Barnet recorded a significantly higher rate of households owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA), where the main applicant was aged 55 years and over, at 9.2 per 1,000 households, compared with 8.6 per 1,000 in London and 3.8 per 1,000 in England. In Barnet, this rate has increased substantially from 6.9 per 1,000 households in 2019/20.

Poor housing quality disproportionately affects people living in deprivation and those in private rental accommodation. In Barnet, homeowners aged 65 and over reported better health outcomes than their peers in privately or socially rented housing.

Older adults with additional needs:

Dementia: Barnet has a similar estimated dementia diagnosis rated for those aged 65 and older compared to England and London over a period from 2018 to 2026.

People with Learning Disabilities (PWLD): Annual health checks for PWLD are crucial for proactive medical care and addressing unmet health needs. In 2018/19, 55% of PWLD in Barnet (aged 14+) had an annual health check.

Severe Mental Illness: Severe mental illness (SMI) is linked with higher premature mortality rates compared to the general population, largely due to physical health. In 2022/23 55.8% of people with SMI were recorded as having a health check in the previous 12 months in Barnet.

Sensory and Physical Disability: The likelihood of experiencing disability is greater with age, however it is also important to consider how people living with disabilities can be supported proactively to live and age well in Barnet. Hearing and visual impairments significantly impact health and well-being, leading to unemployment, social isolation, and mental ill-health.

NHS estimates indicate that as of 2020 there were 58,850 people in Barnet with clinically significant hearing loss[1], and over half of were aged 60+.
A breakdown of registrations by sight-loss category in Barnet in 2022/23 showed that 1,165 residents were registered as blind or partially sighted, of whom 65.6% were aged 65 years and over.

[1] World Health Organization (2008). World Health Organisation Grades of Hearing Impairment. (Online) ec.europa.eu. Available at: Table 4: World Health Organisation Grades of Hearing Impairment – Figures and Tables (europa.eu) (Accessed 1^st December 2023)