GPs in England are failing to provide adequate support for older people living with frailty, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO). The watchdog found that only one in six patients aged 65 or over living with frailty were assessed for the condition in 2024/25, compared with one in four in 2017/18.
Of the 226,000 patients diagnosed with frailty in 2024/25, just 18% were assessed for fall risk and only 16% had a medical review. Frailty, a syndrome related to ageing where body systems gradually lose their reserves, can lead to exhaustion and increased likelihood of being housebound.
GPs have attributed the shortfall to increasing workloads and a shrinking workforce. The chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, said: “A fully qualified, full-time GP in England is now responsible for approximately 2,241 patients on average, an increase of 304 patients, or 15.7%, per GP in 10 years. This is having a serious impact on the time we can spend with our patients and on delivering proactive care.”
The NAO report highlighted a “worrying inconsistency” in the delivery of support and follow-up for those with severe frailty, with significant variation across the country. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “It is crucial that people with frailty are supported effectively and consistently across the country. Our report shows that many older people are not getting the support they need.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson responded: “We inherited a situation where too many elderly people had been failed by the health and care system but are working at pace to ensure older people can live well for longer with the care and support they need.”
