People’s Health Trust is calling for primary prevention to be at the heart of a strategy surrounding the new NHS Ten-Year Plan.
Our response to the Change NHS consultation was informed by our network of experts by experience. 42 organisations, representing more than 20,000 people in neighbourhoods experiencing some of the sharpest health inequalities in England joined us in roundtable discussions or responded to our survey.
The consultation was launched by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in October to shape the next Ten-Year Plan for NHS England (NHSE).
The nation’s health, particularly in the most disadvantaged areas, has been worsening for some time and health inequalities widening. We strongly believe that primary prevention should be within the scope of this consultation and at the heart of a strategy surrounding the new NHS Ten-Year Plan.
We are calling for the Government to address the building blocks that shape our health through a Health in All Policies approach and a cross-departmental Health Inequalities strategy to prevent ill health and reduce health inequalities.
Whilst the Government develops the Ten-Year plan, we hope that Integrated Care Systems (ICS) interested in this work use their existing powers to take on our recommendations to work more closely and deeply with grassroots organisations who understand health inequalities in their neighbourhoods.
Max Rutherford, Director of Programmes, Policy and Public Affairs said: "The two pathways: a focus on primary prevention and a focus on reorientating the NHS, should not be so distinct as to leave primary prevention relatively untouched. Doing so would risk a re-iteration of the current health inequalities crisis in another ten years. This is long-term work, but it is urgent it begins now.”
Read our recommendations and full response.
The public Change NHS consultation is still open to the public– People can still share their experiences of healthcare and ideas for improvement here.
Find out more about the consultation here.
