The Faculty of Public Health welcomes the long-term vision outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan for England, particularly its ambition to shift from sickness to prevention, and to empower both communities and health professionals to safeguard health at local level.
At a critical time for our nation’s health, the plan rightly recognises the need to reduce pressure on struggling primary and secondary care services by investing in preventative and community-focused models of care.
Through wide consultation with professionals, patients and the public, the plan acknowledges the importance of an NHS that works for patients and collaborates effectively with cross-system partners to help people live healthier lives and provide more effective care when they are unwell.
The Faculty and our members are especially committed to supporting the plan’s focus on effective prevention. We welcome the specific inclusion of plans to improve access to weight management services, extend screening programmes, restrict energy drink sales to children, and introduce mandatory reporting for large food companies.
We are also pleased to see a recognition of the importance of health inequalities throughout the plan; a focus which is necessary to realise ambitions in the Government’s manifesto such as halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas.
To build on the foundations set out in the plan and make meaningful progress on health inequalities, there must be a continued focus from Government on the wider determinants of health right across the UK.
The Faculty has outlined many of the steps required in our Vision for the Public’s Health and looking ahead, there is further opportunity to be bolder on areas such as Minimum Unit Pricing in England and expanding access to occupational health services. We also hope to see continued progress on policies that support healthier lives including housing, income security, and living wage measures, all of which lay the foundations for good health.
We also believe that commitments to improve NHS IT systems must be matched with a clear recognition of the importance of public health intelligence. This includes clarifying the legal pathways and ethical frameworks for cross-sector data sharing and linkage, and ensuring the availability of health and social care data for public health professionals, underpinned by legislation if necessary.
The Faculty of Public Health and our members have a vital role to play in supporting implementation of the plan’s three major shifts. As the NHS undergoes reorganisation, with growing emphasis on workforce development and community engagement, the public health community stands ready to support robust, evidence-based implementation that delivers equity at scale and improves population health.
