– Failing to recognise the renewable energy of people and communities is a key issue –
Birmingham, 8 January 2019. Health Creation Alliance today announced that it broadly welcomes the NHS Long Term Plan with some significant reservations. A key issue is the Plan’s failure to recognise that harnessing the ‘renewable energy’ of people and communities is perhaps the most sustainable form of prevention there is.
Commenting on this failure, Brian Fisher, Chair, said, “We welcome any new NHS funding and there are worthy and important aspirations in the Plan. However, while the Plan nods occasionally to the real social roots of ill-health, it then ignores them or does little to tackle them.”
“There is a welcome focus on health inequalities, but, sadly, only tired, ineffective approaches rejected by Marmot decades ago. Health and illnesses are social processes and the Plan fails to include harnessing the ‘renewable energy’ of people and communities as detailed in the Governments NHS Five Year Forward View.”
“Health Creation Alliance recommends public involvement in planning and evidence-based people and community-centred approaches to prevent illness and create health. This is what this Plan should include – and there is no mention of them”.
Commenting on the solution to the omissions, Merron Simpson, CEO said, “Perhaps the biggest opportunity rests with ICSs and CCGs which have it within their gift to adopt and commission community-led, asset-based approaches across all sectors. Health Creation Alliance Alliance is ready to work with local areas to help them find their own ways to tackle health inequalities through Health Creation, engaging directly with disadvantaged people and communities. This includes the development of a Wellness Workforce at the frontline of all the sectors. This will ensure that practitioners in difference parts of the system are equipped with skills in creating health with communities”.
Health Creation is a route to wellness. It comes about when professionals and local people work together as equal partners and focus on what matters to people and the community.
Health Creation Alliance is a movement of professionals and local people working as equal partners to address and reduce health inequalities. www.thehealthcreationalliance.org
