Earlier this year, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin engaged with nearly 1,000 older adults, carers, and health and care professionals to better understand experiences of ageing and what matters most to our communities. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part and shared their views.

Following this engagement, we have updated and renamed the draft Healthy Ageing and Frailty Strategy to the Healthy Ageing Strategy 2025–2028. This change reflects feedback that the term “frailty” was often misunderstood and carried stigma, particularly in some communities. The revised strategy now focuses more clearly on enabling local people to live healthier, more independent lives for longer.

What the Strategy Aims to Do

The Healthy Ageing Strategy sets out how we will support people to age well and live life to the fullest. It aims to:

• Empower older adults to take an active role in their health and wellbeing
• Help people understand what healthy ageing means and how to achieve it
• Prevent or delay the onset of age-related decline
• Improve quality of life for those with long-term conditions
• Ensure better support for carers and families
• Reduce avoidable hospital admissions
• Make services more accessible, joined-up, and responsive to individual needs

What People told us

We have listened to people from across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, including adults, carers and health and care professionals. Key themes from what we heard included:

• What Frailty Means to People: Many associate frailty with ageing, falling, and being vulnerable. Yet even those who meet clinical criteria often don’t see themselves as frail. Health and care professionals say the term is misunderstood and often seen as inevitable or negative.
• Fair Access to Services: People in rural areas face challenges accessing services, especially due to transport and digital barriers. There’s concern about a “postcode lottery” in service availability. We heard clearly: equity matters—support should be based on individual needs, not just equal treatment.
• Involving People in Their Care: Almost everyone (99.5%) agrees that people living with frailty should be involved in decisions about their care. But many say they haven’t been assessed or given a care plan. Often, help is only sought during a crisis, with families stepping in to fill the gaps.
• Gaps in Services: Professionals and the public alike highlighted a lack of early identification and preventative support. Services are often fragmented, poorly coordinated, and hard to navigate. Many people don’t know what’s available or who to contact.
• Supporting Carers and Social Connection: Unpaid carers play a vital role but often feel unsupported. Social groups help people stay well and connected, but access is limited—especially for those without transport or who feel isolated.
• Digital Tools and Communication: Confidence in using digital tools drops with age only 32% of people aged 75+ feel very confident online. Printed materials and trusted community sources are preferred. People told us digital tools should support, not replace, human interaction.
• What Professionals Say: Health and care professionals want better training, more community-based resources, and inclusive digital solutions. They say frailty is often recognised too late, and services tend to react to problems rather than prevent them.

👉 Read the full engagement report here: Healthy Ageing Engagement Report 2025

These insights have directly shaped the updated strategy to better meet the needs of our ageing population.

👉Read the full Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Healthy Ageing Strategy here: STW Healthy Ageing Strategy 2025 2028

👉Read the Supporting Information for the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Healthy Ageing Strategy here: Supporting Information for the STW Healthy Ageing Strategy 2025 2028

Next Steps

We are now moving into the implementation phase. This includes:

• Publishing and sharing the final Healthy Ageing Strategy
• Working with partners across health, care, and the voluntary sector to embed the strategy into everyday practice
• Developing clear action plans and measures to track progress
• Continuing to involve local people in shaping services and solutions

Together, we are building a future where ageing well is achievable for everyone in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak to us and share feedback, views and ideas.