Health Concerns and Service Engagement in Older Adults in Scotland

Health Concerns and Service Engagement in Older Adults in Scotland Informing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic On 28 June 2022, the Scottish Parliament passed the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022 to help Scotland recover from the pandemic and ensure greater resilience against future public health threats. [...] The Act supports the Scottish Government’s Covid Recovery Strategy and the updated Covid Strategic Framework, which reflect a shift in emphasis away from legislation and towards people and organisations, as Scotland looks towards broader aspects of recovery. [...] As the National Health Service and other public services work to address a backlog caused by the impacts of pandemic, our findings have implications for health service confidence that older people will attend appointments when invited and are not put off by fears of contracting COVID-19. [...] • Older people living in Scotland are concerned about being able to access GP and NHS services: 33% reflected they were very/extremely worried about access during the pandemic and 23% remain so when considering the year ahead. [...] The study explored COVID-19 concerns in older adults and its impact on their willingness to (re)engage across health, social, and economic domains as Scotland’s economy and society emerged from the pandemic.