The CSP has welcomed the announcement that the government will publish a prevention Green Paper as part of its long-term vision for the NHS.
Rob Yeldham, policy director at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said:
‘It is encouraging to see further support for the role an expanded primary care team can play in preventing ill-health. For example we know being active can decrease the chances of developing a range of conditions and illnesses, as well as help to manage them.
‘Physiotherapists, alongside other health care professionals, are key in supporting people with the necessary tools and information to overcome any barriers, helping to support people to become healthier and more active.
‘Prevention is also about supporting people with long-term conditions to live independently and so it is important to acknowledge the need recruit and retain more staff working in the community, in order to achieve this.
‘However at this stage, we can only be cautiously optimistic, as it comes just a week after a Budget that once again wielded the axe to public health budgets. We know that prevention can’t be tackled solely by the NHS; it requires a government-wide strategy, with integrated working, in order for it to be effective.
‘The Green Paper next year will need to be backed up by firm action across the board, if we are to improve public health and ultimately add not only years to life but life to years.’
Read more about the government's Prevention is better than cure vision here.
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