A SHIFT TO PREVENTION

Government outlines plans for NHS to move from ‘a sickness service to health service’ with focus on prevention

The government’s 10-year plan for the NHS, published on 3 July, will focus on prevention, embrace technology and drive a shift from hospitals to community health hubs. Launching the plan – in the form of a 165-page document – Prime Minister Keir Starmer said NHS England would move “from being only a sickness service to a health service which is genuinely preventative”. While this should be great news for the physical activity sector, which has for years campaigned for a bigger role in providing preventative health measures through exercise, the plan seems to focus on a number of other forms of prevention. These include screening and early diagnosis and vaccinations.

Even on lifestyle-based measures, the emphasis seems to be on areas such as pharmacy-based weight-loss services, measures to make supermarket foods healthier and highlighting the dangers of alcohol.

In its preamble, the new plan outlines three “big shifts” to how the NHS works: ● From hospital to community: more care will be available on people’s doorsteps and in their homes ● From analogue to digital: new technology will liberate staff from admin and allow people to manage their care as easily as they bank or shop online ● From sickness to prevention: the aim is to reach patients earlier and make the healthy choice the easy choice

When it comes to prevention, the 10-year outlines a plan to “halve the gap in healthy life expectancy” between the richest and poorest regions, while increasing it for everyone and to “raise the healthiest generation of children ever”. The plan reads: “We will achieve our goals by harnessing a huge cross- societal energy on prevention. We will work with businesses, employers, investors, local authorities and mayors to create a healthier country together.”

On prevention, the plan presents 10 main action points. Only one of these references physical activity. Somewhat bizarrely, it specifically identifies the Great Run Company as a “partner”, expected to deliver a campaign to motivate millions to run more on a regular basis. Even on weight-loss, the emphasis is on drugs.

The industry’s response to the 10-year plan could perhaps be described as lukewarm.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said that if the government really wants to use prevention to save the NHS, the physical activity sector must play a key part.

The 10 points for prevention:

● Deliver on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will mean that children turning 16 or younger can never legally be sold tobacco ● Launch a moonshot to end the obesity epidemic by restricting junk food advertising targeted at children. ● Restore the value of Healthy Start from the 2026 to 2027 financial year, expand free school meals and update school food standards ● Harness recent breakthroughs in weight loss medication and expand access through the NHS. Negotiate new partnerships with industry to provide access to new treatments on a ‘pay for impact on health outcomes’ basis ● A new health reward scheme to incentivise healthier choices and working with the Great Run Company to motivate millions to move more on a regular basis ● Tackle harmful alcohol consumption by introducing new standards for alcohol labelling ● Join up support from across work, health and skills systems to help people find and stay in work. The plan is to work with all integrated care boards (ICBs) to establish Health and Growth Accelerators models ● Expand mental health support teams in schools and colleges and provide additional support for children and young people’s mental health through Young Futures Hubs ● Increase uptake of human papillomavirus vaccinations among young people with the aim to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 ● Create a new genomics population health service, accessible to all, by the end of the decade.

“Prevention must be at the heart of our nation’s health strategy and there is collective hope that the 10-Year Plan, and the implementation plans that follow, will help create an NHS ‘fit for the future’,” Edwards said. “But for this plan to be successful where previous plans have failed, the government must lean on our nation’s network of gyms, pools and leisure centres to support people in all areas to be more active. The plan recognises the value of ‘getting millions more moving’ which is welcomed, but any campaign to drive this must involve the full breadth of the physical sector, especially ukactive’s members, who are the engine room behind the UK’s physical activity levels.

“Our sector already has a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of millions, with fi tness activities and swimming shown as the biggest drivers of physical activity other than walking, but demand is growing and there is an urgent need to reach more communities. The government has an opportunity through the ‘neighbourhood health service’ to integrate physical activity into the deprived areas where inequalities are highest. We need to see clear plans to help incentivise more people to be active and for the full integration of health and fi tness services into care pathways, including scaling proven programmes such as MSK hubs and Prehab4Cancer.

“In the case of weight-loss medications, it is essential the government works with our sector on the required wraparound support to ensure people achieve sustainable results and avoid potential health complications. We will work with the government and ensure all areas for our sector’s support and investment are addressed.”

Tara Dillon, CEO of CIMSPA, responded to the plan by highlighting how the sector’s workforce was “ready and able” to do its part.

“We welcome the NHS’s new 10-year plan and its ambition to shift focus towards prevention, early intervention and community-based support,” Dillon said.

“The sport and physical activity workforce has a vital role to play in that shift, not just in supporting recovery, but in preventing long-term health conditions before they develop. Professionally recognised practitioners are already making a real difference to health care provision. Take the recent research that has showed that following a structured exercise programme can reduce the risk of death by up to one-third in people with cancer. Whether it’s working with individuals living with diabetes, heart disease or mental health conditions, having a trusted, competent physical activity workforce, backed by professional status, is giving NHS professionals and service providers the confidence to partner with our sector like never before.

“By embedding physical activity professionals into prevention and recovery pathways, we can unlock huge savings while improving health outcomes and people’s lives at scale. Professional status is not just a badge, it’s a signal of quality, expertise and consistency and ensures that every individual engaging with our sector, especially those with complex conditions, is supported by a workforce that meets the highest professional standards.

“This new plan represents a major opportunity. We can help bring lasting change to the health of the nation.”