WALES’s older people’s champion demanded healthy life expectancy targets from the Welsh government today after a report revealed the country has seen the sharpest decline in Britain.

The Health Foundation think tank study showed Wales had the sharpest decline across the four nations, with female healthy life expectancy falling by 3.7 years, resulting in the lowest healthy life expectancy in Britain.

Britain was found to be one of only five countries in which healthy life expectancy has declined, and that it had fallen from 14th to 20th in the 21-nation international league table, with only the US below it.

Older People’s Commissioner for Wales Rhian Bowen-Davies said: “I am deeply concerned by the findings of the report published by the Health Foundation, which highlight that healthy life expectancy has fallen.

“Improving healthy life expectancy must be a key government target, both here in Wales and across the UK.

“We need to see greater investment in prevention and supporting good health throughout the life course to enable this.”