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** 23 July 2024
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** UK
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** UK must move towards disease prevention to save economy and NHS, says expert (#1)
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** Barnsley: Plan to work with schools to assess rise in vaping (#2)
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** Healthy living campaign to help with weight loss (#3)
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** UK
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** UK must move towards disease prevention to save economy and NHS, says expert
The creation of a “pre-NHS” focusing on preventive healthcare could unlock billions for the UK within two decades, according to the head of a taskforce investigating radical new improvements to the nation’s wellbeing.
Prof John Deanfield, the first-ever government champion for personalised prevention, has concluded that a parallel health service is required to save an NHS struggling to heal an increasingly unhealthy public.
Deanfield, who was asked by the previous secretary of state, Steve Barclay, to set up his taskforce, said: “The NHS still operates according to its traditional, founding principles of 75 years ago, which is disease care. But we need to move to a system of upstream, preventative health intervention.”
He added: “Our current approach to health is unsustainable, both for the health of the population and for the economy. A reorientation towards prevention is the only way to avert the growing health and wealth crisis.”
The “size of the prize” for prevention was huge, Deanfield added. “It is estimated that applying known, evidence-based preventative interventions earlier and more broadly could add 20 more healthy days per person, per year, in the UK – a 33% reduction in ill health.” That, according to an estimation made by the previous Conservative government, could create a GDP increase of about £320bn over 20 years.
Deanfield wants to move prevention services, such as weight, cholesterol and blood-pressure checks, into the places people live, work and socialise. “In this way, we normalise prevention as part of every day life,” he said.
He also wants healthcare personalised through a new “prevention portal” – developed as part of the NHS app – that would allow people to access their health data and individualised prevention plans, and signpost them to digital and face-to-face services.
David Prior, the chair of the NHS until 2022, said Deanfield’s recommendations would help mend a “broken system”, have a profound impact on the country’s growing health inequality and improve instances of NHS giving substandard care.
A new, preventive model would quickly become as integral to the nation as the NHS itself, Lord Prior said, and rather than provide a challenge to the service, would be welcomed by health experts.
Deanfield’s recommendations have also been backed by Sir John Bell, the regius professor of medicine at Oxford University who headed the national Covid testing scientific advisory panel and chaired the government’s test approvals group.
Martin Marshall, the chair of the Nuffield Trust and an emeritus professor of healthcare improvement at UCL, who was chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners until 2022, said GPs would welcome the proposals. “We need to shift the model because GPs can’t deal with this issue on their own and would be delighted to get help with it,” said Marshall, who was previously the deputy chief medical officer for England and director general in the Department of Health.
Source: The Guardian, 23 July 2024
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** Barnsley: Plan to work with schools to assess rise in vaping
An investigation into the popularity of vaping among youngsters will result in public health teams undertaking more work in schools to better understand its rise in prominence.
A scrutiny panel - which includes councillors, public health teams, hospital medics and Barnsley Youth Council representatives - have been working together since last autumn.
Children using vapes in the past three years has tripled, with 20.5 per cent of children aged between 11 and 17 having tried vaping in 2023, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
A report said: “As part of its work programme for 2023/24 the overview and scrutiny panel agreed to undertake a task-and-finish investigation into vaping.
“Members had become increasingly concerned regarding the numbers of young people vaping in the borough.
“This included concerns regarding the health impact on individuals, the vast availability of vapes in shops as well as illicit vapes, the marketing of vapes at young people in terms of bright packing and flavours and the impact on the environment, particularly with the prevalent use of single-use vapes.”
Barnsley is one of the worst-impacted places for youngsters seeking to buy illegal vapes in the country, research also uncovered.
The study analysed monthly Google searches for illegal vapes by using banned varieties to cross-reference searches by location.
The town had an average monthly search volume of 262 per 100,000 people, with frequent searches for ‘Crystal Pro Max’, which accounts for 117 of Barnsley’s vape searches.
Anna Hartley, executive director for public health and communities, said: “In Barnsley we’re committed to making sure everyone in our communities can get the support they need to live happier, healthier, longer lives.
“It has been great to share what our teams and partners are doing to support our communities and make smoking and vaping invisible.
“We have an unwavering commitment to safeguarding public health and fostering informed decision-making.
“It serves a valuable reminder of how by working together, we’re creating the change we want to see locally and nationally.”
Source: Barnsley Chronicle, 23 July 2024
See also: ASH - New figures show youth vaping has plateaued while adult vaping is at an all-time high ([link removed])
Barnsley Council Report - Overview and scrutiny committee (OSC) task and finish group report on vaping ([link removed])
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** Healthy living campaign to help with weight loss
People in Telford are being offered advice on how to lose weight after a survey found many did not know how. Those who sign up to the Healthy Telford Pledge will be given weekly online advice and help in setting realistic goals.
Kelly Middleton, the Telford and Wrekin councillor who is overseeing the project, said the borough faced "higher than average numbers for children and adults that are overweight or obese". She said the aim was to support them "to make small and simple changes to their lives".
The council survey was carried out at the end of last year and the Labour councillor said: "Residents were aware they needed to lose weight, but felt shame or stigma about it. Some, she explained, "didn't know how to go about trying to be healthy".
Senior health practitioner Becky Procter is working on the 12-week campaign and said one of the focuses would be finding something personal to motivate those signing up. She said a lack of motivation was often a major barrier to change.
Source: BBC News, 22 July 2024
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