Government response to the HSCC's report on healthy ageing and physical activity
The government's response to the House of Commons' Health and Social Care Committee's (HSCC) 'Healthy Ageing: physical activity in an ageing society' report.
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This is the government’s formal response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s (HSCC) report Healthy Ageing: physical activity in an ageing society, which was published on 22 May 2026.
The HSCC’s report set out its conclusions and made 16 recommendations against the following themes:
- embedding physical activity as a core health and care intervention across the NHS and adult social care
- enhancing system leadership, workforce capability and care pathways
- reducing inequalities through targeted local action where inactivity, poor health outcomes and inequalities are greatest
- creating environments and cultures that support active ageing
The government welcomes the report and is grateful to all who contributed their time and expertise to the inquiry. It is clear that, while as a nation we are living longer, too many people are spending their older years in ill health.
This government plans to address this through the 10 Year Health Plan: fit for the future’s:
- commitment to halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions while increasing it for everyone
- wider ambition of raising the healthiest generation of children ever
We share the committee’s view that physical activity plays an important role in this through the positive health, social and economic benefits to people and communities throughout the life course.