Ensuring the safety and health of older people at mass gathering events
England’s older population is increasing. Currently, over 10 million individuals are aged 65 years or older, representing approximately 18% of the national population.1 This marks an increase of more than 3.5 million people over the past four decades, a rise of 52%, with projections indicating this will continue to rise. There is a notable transformation in how older adults are choosing to live their later years,23 for example, by participating in large public gatherings such as festivals and sporting and religious events, either locally within the UK or overseas. While deeply enriching culturally and spiritually, attendance at local or global mass gathering events456 often carries numerous health and safety risks primarily related to a range of communicable and non-communicable diseases, risk of physical trauma, mobility challenges, cognitive impairments, and weakened immunity, which disproportionately affect older people.23 The NHS plays a crucial role in tackling the physical, menta
