24.07.19
NHS Providers says prevention green paper must be backed by action
Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, has reiterated that if the government is serious in its proposals for prevention and public health that were put forward in the recent green paper, then it will require backing with action and investment.
Speaking about the green paper, which was published 21 July, Ms Cordery said: “We welcome this opportunity to talk about prevention and public health as a central pillar of a sustainable health and care system.
“Trusts take their role in prevention and empowering people to manage their own health very seriously. Prevention is crucial in supporting the delivery of the ambitions of the long term plan. We all have a role to play in ensuring people are living not only longer but healthier lives too.
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“The proposals outlined in this green paper are a step in the right direction, but there is much more we must do. It is positive to see the prominent role accorded to mental health in the green paper and the drive to narrow inequalities in society. But we have heard and been promised much of this before. We need to see ideas backed with action and appropriate investment.
“For this to be a serious and credible exercise, we must see a reverse to the deep cuts in council public health budgets in recent years. We know there is a link between these cuts affecting local support services and the rise in demand for NHS care - this must be urgently addressed in the upcoming spending review.
“The NHS has a vital part to play, but the impact of this commitment to prevention depends not only on the efforts of NHS services to prevent but also a collaborative effort across government, local authorities and the wider system to address the wider determinants of health."