05 March 2004
The results of a three-month consultation on the best ways to prevent illness will be used to inform a public health white paper and affect NHS spending priorities between 2005 and 2008.
This week Health Secretary John Reid launched the consultation at the Asda superstore in Leyton, east London. He promised hundreds of events across the country, which will be organised by local NHS bodies, public health groups and local authorities.
The consultation follows on from last week's report by former NatWest bank chief executive Derek Wanless, which questioned the worth of previous health promotion campaigns.
Reid said the NHS had made 'huge strides' in improving health, such as reducing heart-related deaths by 23% since 1996, but it was time to focus on the causes of ill health. 'There are still worrying problems in preventable conditions like obesity and sexually transmitted infections,' he said. 'And more can be done on smoking.
'These are issues for all of us, not just for the government. We need a big debate about where government responsibility lies and where individuals must play a part in tackling these vital challenges.'
The health secretary promised all views – from the NHS, local authorities, industry, the voluntary sector and the public – would be taken into account when the white paper, due in the summer, is written.
Around the same time, the Department of Health will publish its Priorities and Planning Framework, setting out its policy on NHS spending from 2005 to 2008. The department said the consultation's outcomes would be accommodated in these plans.
The launch was accompanied by a consultation document that poses questions about what should be done to improve the population's health. These include asking what would help people adopt healthier lifestyles, whether public smoking should be curtailed and whether rules on advertising harmful foods should be changed.
The British Medical Association welcomed the consultation. Dr Vivienne Nathanson, BMA head of science and ethics, said: 'Government action to support people in improving their health is not just legitimate, it is urgently needed. Rates of sexually transmitted infections are still rising. Obesity is contributing to soaring rates of diabetes. It is now time for the government to stop talking and start tackling the issues.'
PFmar2004
