Recommendation 3

Physical activity can be more effective than drugs in preventing, treating and managing many long-term conditions. Health and care professionals have an important role in encouraging and supporting people to include physical activity in the management of their health. Conversations about physical activity must become a core component of clinical practice to implement current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on physical activity. We welcome the recognition from NHS England that health and care staff must be supported to gain the skills and confidence to discuss and prescribe physical activity. However, for this to happen health leaders must demonstrate that it is a priority and ensure all staff have access to training and examples of best practice. The NHS will need to go further than encouragement alone and begin rebalancing how it invests in prevention—recognising that evidence-based physical activity can be as effective as drug treatment for many conditions—and shifting resources and spend towards its routine promotion and prescription. (Conclusion, Paragraph 17) 41