Mellon’s millions are a welcome counter to age

One piece of unequivocally good news amid all the gloom. The investor Jim Mellon has just given a million pounds to his (and my) old Oxford college, Oriel, to research health resilience among the elderly.

Mellon wants old age to be seen not as an inevitable condition, but as a disease that can be treated. In other words, instead of addressing individual conditions associated with senescence, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, he wants to tackle the cell decay that makes older people vulnerable in the first place.

His donation will, among other things, fund the work of Professor Lynne Cox, who is leading research into how to reduce the frailty associated with age.

Once again, we are reminded that all clinical work needs to be paid for. When you next applaud our health workers, please give an extra clap for those generous souls on whose philanthropy we depend.