Councils and PCTs to lead on health promotion

18 Nov 04
Local authorities and primary care trusts will be in the vanguard of government plans to transform the NHS from a national sickness service to one that promotes health and wellbeing.

19 November 2004

Local authorities and primary care trusts will be in the vanguard of government plans to transform the NHS from a national sickness service to one that promotes health and wellbeing.

In the white paper on public health published on November 16, Health Secretary John Reid outlined proposals to tackle public health threats such as obesity, smoking and sexually transmitted infections.

Although the NHS Confederation hailed the proposals as the first genuine cross-government approach to public health problems, delivery will be largely down to councils and PCTs.

The Department of Health will produce a guide to losing weight and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will write guidelines for reducing obesity by 2007, but PCTs will commission weight loss and activity programmes from 2006. These services could be bought from local authorities, health clubs or commercial weight loss firms.

PCTs will also be expected to expand their use of nicotine-replacement therapy and will ask doctors and nurses to use the opportunity to measure weight and give advice. New community matrons and NHS health trainers will help people improve their lifestyles.

PCTs will work with local authorities in local strategic partnerships to plan wellbeing services. This will be particularly important in schools, where diet and exercise classes will form the core of anti-childhood obesity measures. Local area agreements, which will bring together councils, children's trusts and PCTs with new funding streams, will be piloted next year.

'This white paper acknowledges that the NHS can only be a part of the programme to improve public health, and that the health service can't solve all problems on its own,' said confederation policy director Nigel Edwards.

David Rogers, the chair of the Local Government Association's community wellbeing board, said councils were ready for the challenge.

But he added that the white paper did not detail how the planned limited smoking ban in public enclosed places would be enforced, particularly with regard to the licensing of pubs.

'Power and funding need to be made available at the local level if there is to be any real improvement in the health of the nation,' he said.

The department insisted funding would be identified for PCTs. It was committed to fully reimbursing local authorities for any extra costs incurred.

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