On the occasion of the third anniversary of Health First Europe, the survey HealthFirst 2007 which was supported by former European Commissioner for Health and HFE Patron, Mr. David Byrne, was conducted amongst Members of the European Parliament, Commission officials, national health attachés from the Permanent Representations and health stakeholders. The report provides an illuminating insight into EU opinion leaders’ views on how best to tackle today’s patient and healthcare priorities.

Main findings outlined in a summary report include that:
 
41% of key EU opinion leaders surveyed by Health First Europe support the creation of a unique European healthcare system in the long-term

89% advocate investment in medical technology innovation to improve healthcare efficiency and limit healthcare deficits.

88% believe that public health authorities in Member States should provide information on how to apply for healthcare cross border.

86% believe that the EU should be competent for the coordination of technical resources (e.g. e-health, patient records), technological advances (e.g. medical equipment and diagnostics), knowledge, best practice and standards.

65% support the coordination of market approval of all health technologies through a regulatory agency (like the US Food and Drugs Administration) by the EU.

The full report on the survey can be downloaded from the HFE website: http://www.healthfirsteurope.org/v2/index.php?pid=132

In 2005 HSBC published the results of its first global survey, The Future of Retirement in a World of Rising Life Expectancies. That survey covered 11,000 adults (aged 18 and over) in ten countries and territories across four continents. This showed that people want more flexibility and freedom in the way they retire than employers and laws often allow. The OIA was invited in 2005 to collaborate on the 2nd Survey, which was already in the field. Members of the OIA led by Leeson analysed the data and authored the subsequent report. HSBC interviewed more than 21,000 adults in 20 countries and territories across five continents, which comprise 62% of the world’s population. 6,000 private-sector employers across the same 20 countries and territories, were surveyed to address their attitudes to older workers and the issues presented by global ageing and changing models of retirement.

The 2006/2007 wave of the survey will be redesigned by the OIA in order to allow comparative analysis with other international and national survey on ageing and later life.

To read complete findings

The Oxford Institute of Ageing is unique among its major competitors in establishing an internationally recognised research group to address the challenges of demographic ageing in both the more developed and developing worlds. Population ageing is one of the major global challenges for the 21st century. By 2030 half the population of Western Europe will be aged over 50, by 2050 there will be 2 billion older people globally, 500 million of them aged over 80. The positioning of the Globalization of Ageing Research Programme within the 21st Century School will now provide the opportunity to build on this existing research and expertise to establish three interlinked interdisciplinary research components: global ageing (to address the global macroeconomic and demographic imbalances which could arise); redefining institutions for ageing societies (extending our research into the requirements for new economic, social and political institutions); and longevity and radical life extension (addressing the impact on individuals as they realise the potential of life spans which may take them beyond the 9th or even 10th decade).