Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 1
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Comorbidities pose a risk for BAME people to experience coronavirus more severely and, at times,...
Recommendation
Comorbidities pose a risk for BAME people to experience coronavirus more severely and, at times, with adverse health outcomes. To tackle comorbidities, primary prevention should be prioritised. We are concerned that the decision to disband Public Health England could result in a gap in the prevention work that is already underway. We recommend that the NHS Health Check, which is currently for 40 to 70-year olds, should be extended to people from a BAME background from the age of 25 years for at least the next two years. We also recommend that the Government’s obesity strategy is culturally appropriate. The Government must ensure that any work undertaken in this area is not lost when Public Health England is disbanded.
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Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The government notes the Committee’s concerns that disbanding Public Health England (PHE) could have on existing health improvement work. Preventing physical and mental ill-health and reducing health inequalities remain top priorities for the government. Alongside work to establish the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP), the DHSC will continue to focus on health improvement and preventing ill-health with support from the expert teams currently located in PHE. No further changes will be made to those responsibilities before Spring 2021. DHSC is currently considering a range of options for where PHE’s non-health protection functions could sit in the future, including the teams tackling obesity and other prevention-focused work. NHS Health Checks Commissioning of the NHS Health Check programme forms part of local authorities’ public health responsibilities. The programme is designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or dementia. It is delivered primarily by GP practices. While the government remains committed to implementing this programme, guidance1 on locally contracted services currently prioritises COVID-19 vaccination and related support. PHE has issued guidance on preparations for restarting the programme, urging providers to continue applying the principle of proportionate universalism while delivering checks in a way that prioritises resources and engages those who are most likely to be at higher risk of COVID-19. PHE has also published a health equity audit tool and local data to inform local commissioning decisions in support of prioritising groups most likely to benefit from a check. The government has also commissioned a wide-ranging, evidence-based review of the NHS Health Check programme. This is being conducted by PHE under the chairmanship of Professor John Deanfield, and is expected to conclude shortly. The appropriate starting age for the programme is among the topics being considered and so it would be inappropriate for the government to adopt the Committee’s recommendation at this stage. 1 NHS Letter to GP surgeries: Freeing up practices to support COVID vaccination The Healthy Weight Strategy In July 2020 the government launched Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives. The strategy includes an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, and takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including the government’s ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity and significantly reduce the gap in obesity between children from the most and least deprived areas by 2030. It also sets out measures to protect against COVID-19 and protect the NHS. The NHS Long Term Plan,2 published in January 2019, committed to fund a doubling of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) over the next five years, including a new digital option to widen patient choice and target inequality. The programme aims to reduce individuals’ risk of Type 2 diabetes by supporting them to achieve a healthy weight, improve nutrition, and increase their physical activity over nine months. As Black and South Asian people are at both greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and of in-hospital COVID-19 mortality, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHS-E/I) has developed a focused marketing campaign aimed at these ethnic groups.