fi a update news
a strategy in the making
©IST
OCKPHO
Steven Ward, the
FIA’s public affairs
T
and policy manager,
O
.COM/ANDREAS REH
gives an update on
the Public Health
Commission’s
new report
S
hadow health minister Andrew
Lansley made a speech in June
last year which was seen as
the start of a process to
formalise the Conservative Party’s public
health strategy. In the speech, he
established an independent Public Health
Commission (PHC). The PHC was
formed to bring together all the key In the battle against obesity, we must shift the focus from ‘energy in’ to ‘energy out’
players to establish the responsibility of
government, industry and the charitable The PHC Report called for an end with the opportunities to improve their
sector in meeting the public health to the ‘Wellbeing Tax’. Establishing this diet and be more active, while ensuring
challenges of diet, physical activity and term as political currency is crucial. that the necessary tools such as exercise
alcohol use. Shortly after the speech, a Could we one day have a new area of referral and walking schemes are
letter arrived at the FIA inviting Fred policy debate around Wellbeing Taxes available for commission.
Turok, the FIA chair, to join the PHC to alongside the debate over Green Taxes? Nonetheless, the most potent
represent the FIA. The final report of The FIA saw a number of its key recommendation of the report was the
the PHC, We’re All In This Together, was policy objectives refl ected in the PHC fundamental repositioning of the public
published on 1 July 2009. fi nal report. These include the creation health debate. It’s possible to argue that
of a pool of funds to match-fund the for too long, the media, government
towards vat cuts? evidenced-based corporate wellness and charitable sectors have focused
The report makes 48 specific programmes implemented by small and on attacking the food and advertising
recommendations. These rang from medium-sized enterprises. sectors, placing with them the blame of
extending the ban on advertising junk The report also has implications the growing public health challenges we
food to children, to extending the for funding at local level, where one face as a nation.
Change4Life campaign. The recommendation suggests piloting the The food sector has taken this
recommendation that received the most ring-fencing of public health budgets of onboard. They’ve adjusted their
coverage was the call to reposition Primary Care Trusts. marketing techniques. They’ve
physical activity as a healthcare There’s also the potential, at last, for reformulated their products. They’ve
provision, thus reducing its rate of VAT a review of the Quality and Outcomes set themselves on a path towards a
to 5 per cent. This is a new take on the Framework (QOF), the system that future where their products meet the
VAT argument that the FIA adopted as dictates the rewards available to GPs needs of an increasingly health-conscious
its position, through its Vanguard for providing certain services. It has long consumer. It’s time to shift the balance of
Council, in December 2008. We have been a frustration that smoking cessation debate away from ‘energy in’ and focus
been promoting it ever since. services receive 73 QOF points, whereas resources on encouraging ‘energy out’.
The reasoning behind the inclusion of interventions related to obesity receive If the expertise and facilities of the
this recommendation was a prevailing eight and those related to exercise ‘energy out’ sector can be adjoined
view that an individual should not be referral receive none. to the consumer reach and marketing
penalised for taking responsibility nous of the ‘energy in’ sector, we may
for themselves, their family or their energy in : energy out reach a mutually benefi cial balance that
employees if they’re doing something to A call was also made to unite the various transforms the health of the nation. The
benefi t their health through improved public health pathways of treatment in FIA will remain at the forefront of these
levels of physical activity, thereby reducing primary care into a single Preventative developments and ensure that ‘energy
the cost to the taxpayer of ill-health. Care Pathway which provides individuals out’ warrants the attention it deserves.
leisureopportunities
is the offi cial recruitment magazine of the fi a
20 Read Health Club Management online august 2009 © cybertrek 2009
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