Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham, 25 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)1273 434 943
Email: [email protected]
The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling on the government to recognise that preserving the health of the population is essential to economic prosperity.
Their new report, Valuing Health, highlights that poor population health is not just bad for the individuals affected, but it also has an adverse impact on productivity and prosperity, and increases pressures on health services.
Instead of solely focusing on treating ill health, the government should instead focus on improving the conditions in which people are conceived, born, grow, live, work and age, as these are the prime determinants of future health.
In doing so, the government could reduce pressure on the NHS, as currently, the care of people living with preventable, long-term conditions makes up around 50% of GP appointments and 70% of hospital days.
“While the UK needs properly resourced, efficient and effective health services, the solutions to reducing pressure on health services need governments to focus on stemming the growing burden of ill health,” the BMA says.
Moving beyond GDP as a measurement of success
The report also urges the government and policy makers to move beyond GDP (gross domestic product) as the predominant measure of national success.
The BMA say this is a narrow indicator which includes activities that actively harm health while failing to consider activities that contribute to health.
“It also tells us nothing about the distribution of economic growth. GDP may rise, but unless government directs gains towards areas of greatest need, health inequalities will continue to widen,” the Association says.
Instead, they suggest England moves towards using the Health Index developed by the ONS (Office for National Statistics) or the National Performance Framework used in Scotland.
A ‘ticking time-bomb’ of ill health
Unless decisive action is taken, the BMA warn that we will continue to face a ‘ticking time-bomb’ of ill health.
The Association says that health is the responsibility of all ministers and the government must now work across departments to develop policies which are sufficient to tackling the scale of the challenge.
Former BMA president Professor Neena Modi, whose project on human health and wellbeing is the basis of this report, said: “Government policy at present does not appear to recognise the absolutely fundamental necessity of protecting and improving population health. The recent mini-budget with its dash for GDP growth at all costs is a prime example of this mindset.
“Public health budgets have already been depleted over the last decade; further spending cuts to pay for inequality-fuelling tax cuts will deplete them further.
“With public health spending declining and inequality rising, the price will be paid by a less healthy population that will be less economically productive.”
The government must stop treating healthcare “as the principal driver of health”
Prof Modi says the government must now stop treating healthcare as the principal driver of health and instead see the health of the population as a positive asset.
By created targeted policies that protect and preserve the health of the population from conception to old age, the government could help to create a more productive workforce and a more prosperous economy.