COUNTLESS articles and reports have been written about the crisis in health and social care in Northern Ireland.

We have become accustomed to reading about lengthy waiting lists, ambulance queues, a shortage of doctors in primary and secondary care, and a lack of social care packages.

On almost every measure, Northern Ireland’s health and care system performs worse than anywhere else in the UK.

It is, however, important to note that not all citizens use the system in the same way or to the same extent.

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Older people are disproportionate users, largely due to the higher prevalence of chronic diseases, co-morbidities and frailty.

Whilst they represent a small section of the population, they account for a substantially higher percentage of GP visits, hospital admissions and prescribed drugs.

People over the age of 65 account for approximately 40% of all admissions to hospital and around 60% of hospital day beds.

Those aged 74 and over visit their GP almost four times as often as those aged between 5 and 14, and twice as often as those aged between 45 and 65.

Despite their reliance on the health and care system, many of those who need help and support find it fragmented, inaccessible and difficult to navigate.

A new report published by the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland (COPNI) highlighted the extent to which older people feel ‘shut out’ from a system that they paid into all their working lives.

“Voices of Concern: The........

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