“Urgent action” needed to improve public health over next decade

Health experts are calling on the government to implement a ‘Covenant for Health’ to significantly improve the health of our nation over the next five to 10 years.

The plans, laid out in a new report, call for a cross-party commitment to build a healthier nation, and to develop partnerships for health with business, local authorities, and key charity groups.

The authors say this ‘covenant’ would benefit millions of people, society, our economy and our health system, while remaining “affordable”, with small costs compared to the growth of the NHS’s budget.

“The benefits would be great. A new government should move fast, define early what it wants to achieve, prepare for it, legislate, if needed, and make difficult changes early. There is a fantastic opportunity for any new government to define and promote such a mission,” the authors write.

UK has among the worst population health in Europe

The report highlights that the UK has among the worst population health in Europe, the highest levels of obesity, the worst excess drinking levels, very large health inequalities, and very many people become ill much earlier than they should.

Without action, the situation will only get worse, and we must now act so that lives are not degraded, the authors write.

The plans, which should be achieved over the next five to 10 years, involve:

• Halving our smoking rate
• Preventing 4 million people from becoming obese
• Helping 4 million people be more active
• Helping more children be physically and mentally health
• Reducing deaths from poor air quality
• Helping 5 million people reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease
• Reducing health inequalities.

The report sets out nine key issues and how to resolve them and achieve the above goals. There is a heavy focus on preventative action, early detection and treatment, and targeted action in the unhealthiest communities.

However, the report states that the outcomes will not be achieved unless there is collaboration from employers, the NHS, individuals, charities and central and local government.

“The big message to all political parties is Just Do It. We know what needs to be done and could achieve remarkable gains in five to 10 years’ time.

“The case for doing so ought to be overwhelming, the waste of human lives, the ballooning costs to the NHS and the damage to our economy and public finances from premature preventable illnesses,” the authors conclude.

“We cannot treat our way out of a public health crisis”

Richard Murray, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund has welcomed the report’s proposals, and says he hopes that political leaders will “take seriously” the outlined recommendations.

“The health of the nation is in bad shape. Whether looking at life expectancy, levels of chronic ill health, inequalities, mental health or the drivers of poor health like obesity, England’s recent record is poor and often compares badly to our neighbours.

“Apart from the obvious fact that no-one wants to be ill or to die prematurely, this state of affairs weighs heavily on the economy and the Exchequer, whether in terms of higher treatment costs, increased welfare payments or the loss of potential staff to ill health at a time when many parts of the economy are facing deep workforce shortages.

“Tackling this problem is not just a job for the NHS – we cannot treat our way out of a public health crisis. Improving the nation’s health will require urgent cross-government action that encompasses better quality housing, policies to ensure the air we breathe is clean and the use of tax and regulation to encourage healthy behaviours. And beyond national government, local councils, the NHS, businesses and charities all have power to improve the health of their employees, citizens and beneficiaries.

“England is at risk of drifting into a deeper health crisis and the upcoming general election will be a critical moment for the government to adopt a different approach. I hope political leaders take seriously the measures outlined in this timely new report,” he said.