TACKLING loneliness as a public health crisis must become a priority says Age Scotland – as new figures show around 282,000 older Scots feel lonely.

The latest Scottish Household Survey published last week found that more than a quarter (26 per cent) of people aged 75 and over said that they felt lonely some or most of the time within the last week they were asked.

And almost one in five of those aged 60-74 reported feeling lonely.

People living in deprived areas are almost twice as likely as those in the least deprived areas to feel lonely.

Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: “It’s heart-breaking to think of hundreds of thousands of older people going a week or more without meeting a friend, relative or neighbour.

“While loneliness can affect us at any age, older people can be more vulnerable due to bereavement, retirement or health or mobility issues.

“Loneliness is having a devastating impact on older people’s health and well-being.

“It increases the risk of high blood pressure and developing dementia, as well as seriously affecting mental health.

“Taking away free TV licences for over-75s will not help - while it’s no substitute for human contact, half of over-75s rely on their TV for company and contact with the outside world.

“The Scottish government’s loneliness strategy is a great start, but we need to make sure it is embedded right across all departments and throughout the public sector.

“There are positive first steps already under way but tackling loneliness as a public health crisis should be a priority.

“At the same time we can all do our bit to reach out to lonely older people in our communities.

“More than half a million older people say that something as simple as a few minutes of conversation makes a difference to their week.”