#TUC18: Invest in ill health prevention, CSP urges

Moving Motion 62 Preventing Ill Health at TUC Congress in Manchester, Ms MacKenzie highlighted the CSP’s Love activity, Hate exercise? campaign and argued that physiotherapy staff can make a ‘real difference’ in helping people undertake physical activity, improving their life experience and reducing the burden on overstretched health and social care services.

To help achieve this, Ms MacKenzie said the government should invest more in physiotherapy, which needs 500 additional physios a year just to keep up with demand. But she recognized that CSP members alone couldn’t 'get the nation moving.'

Ms MacKenzie criticised cuts in public health budgets and the underfunding of public health in recent years. She also urged a reversal of closures and cuts to local sports and leisure facilities and budgets. ‘This is affecting some of society’s most vulnerable and is so short-sighted,’ she said.

The motion called on TUC affiliates ‘to use every opportunity... to campaign for proper funding for public health and ill health prevention as part of the solution.’

The motion, seconded by British Orthoptic Society, passed unanimously.

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