Money concerns as top source of

WORRIES about personal finances have now overtaken health concerns for the first time, according to the annual wellbeing index.

The top source of personal anxiety for people looking to the future is money, affecting 32pc of the population.

Some 19pc cited personal health as their main reason for losing sleep.

The index is carried out annually by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which has been tracking behaviours and attitudes for 13 years.

Significantly, the index found that nearly one-third of people surveyed have neither private medical insurance nor a medical card, a slight increase on last year. This is despite promises by the Government to extend free GP care and other healthcare access.

Among the 20-39 year age group, nearly four in every 10 must pay for medical costs out of their own pockets.

The survey found that “starting to feel old” is the biggest trigger to prompt us to start looking after our health.

This is particularly true for men, although the arrival of a child is slightly more of an impact for women.

If people could “turn back the clock”, they would have taken more exercise and had a healthier diet.

Asked what they rank as the Government’s greatest spending priorities, there has been a major “upswing” in support for more health funding, with 62pc saying it’s where most of