Over two thirds of UK residents don’t believe that the state will be able to provide for their healthcare needs in later life

A new report by Health Unlimited and Foresight Factory has highlighted consumers’ increasing realisation that the government will not be their health safety net as they age.  

This belief is one of many highlighted in the report: ‘Tapping into Consumer Trends to Improve Health’, a result of a survey of over 4,000 participants in four countries which captured attitudes and perceived future behaviours towards health and wellbeing.  

When planning for future care, in the U.K., Generation Y is vastly outpacing Baby Boomers. Whereas 31 per cent of Generation Y are planning for their future healthcare needs, only 17 per cent of Baby Boomers are doing the same.  

As Christophe Jouan, CEO of Foresight Factory commented: “This data is very consistent with a couple of long-term trends we have been monitoring over recent years. In many aspects, Millenials appear more risk-averse than previous generations and are keen to take matters into their own hands, rather than relying on governmental institutions. Being visibly in control – whether of one’s health or one’s finances – is a strong aspiration for them.”  

Beyond their own care, only a third (33 per cent) of UK participants believed that it was the responsibility of grown-up children to take care of their elderly parents. This is the lowest percentage of those surveyed across Europe.  

The report also looked at our fear of age-related conditions. Globally, thirty one per cent reported that heart, cardiovascular disease and stroke were the conditions that they most feared developing in the next 10 years, closely followed by Alzheimer’s and dementia (30 per cent). When probed further, respondents noted that fear of mental deterioration was bigger than their fear of loneliness, with 80 per cent agreeing with the statement ‘Losing my memory would be like losing my identity’.  

In the UK, a quarter (25 per cent) of consumers surveyed reported that they are looking for pharmaceutical companies to provide them with more information and education on illnesses and treatments. Almost three quarters (72 per cent) reported that maintaining a healthy lifestyle was important to them, with 58 per cent reporting that they could be doing more to manage their health.  

“Consumers are looking to maintain a healthier lifestyle. This data provides valuable insights into attitudes and beliefs, which will help companies like Health Unlimited better understand audiences and  support positive health-related decision making” said Tim Bird, CEO Health Unlimited.   When ranking attitudes towards a selection of healthcare institutions, the UK pharmaceutical industry ranked most favourably among the four countries surveyed, with 34 per cent saying they felt positively about the role the pharmaceutical industry plays in the UK healthcare system.  

Health Unlimited is a healthcare communications agency helping clients solve the world’s complex and challenging health issues. They partnered with Foresight Factory, a consumer analytics company specialising in trends to identify the main trends in consumers’ approach to health and gain valuable insight into future healthcare attitudes and behaviours.  

Effective communication in today’s fast-moving world requires a deep understanding of the world consumers live in, what motivates them, and their fears and uncertainties about the future, especially when it comes to their health.  

The findings represent a segment of the insights gathered. Health Unlimited and Foresight Factory have an array of data to better help organisations understand the needs of consumers, and how best to engage with them to help support positive behaviour change. One of the more interesting aspects of the survey is that it allows us to look at global trends as well as differences between the countries studied. Data can be cut by age, sex, location and numerous other variants.   

Tim Bird continues: “Supporting positive health and lifestyle behaviour change can only be done through deep understanding of the needs of consumers today and tomorrow. At Health Unlimted, we are commited to developing insight-driven programmes that change lives of people living with health-related issues across the world.”  

For more information please see www.healthunlimited.com/insights/  

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Health Unlimited is a global integrated health consultancy and communications agency that is committed to better understanding consumer attitudes so it can deliver on its mission to leverage these trends and create something special for clients. Our commitment to creating insight-led programmes builds on our rich understanding of audiences. www.healthunlimited.com
Contact: Sarah Gordon – sarah.gordon@unlimitedgroup.com / +44 208 392 8042    

Foresight Factory (formerly Future Foundation) is a consumer analytics company, specialising in trends. We blend data to predict and size commercial opportunity and have partnered with our clients over 20 years to help them be truly customer centric in their decision-making. Our expertise is understanding what consumers worldwide want now and in the future and translating this into recommendations for brand management, product development, loyalty, customer service delivery and other key touch points on the consumer journey.
www.foresightfactory.co
Contact: Agathe Acchiardo - agathea@foresightfactory.co / +44 203 096 6380