As part of shaping the policy agenda, Intelligent Health regularly respond to public consultations arranged by the government, devolved administrations, parliamentary committees and other key stakeholders. Our evidence submissions are informed through insight and data obtained in our programmes and those we work with.
Intelligent Health’s mission is to create resilience and improve health by connecting people to each other, their communities and their environment. We do this through engagement of communities at scale, sharing knowledge of the foundations of good health, and by using data and evaluation to deliver actionable insight. The vision is simple; to transform people’s health through small changes that make a big difference.
The Department of Health and Social Care has called for evidence to inform the major conditions strategy which will help individuals to live longer, healthier and more prosperous lives.
As people live for longer, an increasing number of us live with one or more of the major groups of conditions: cancers, cardiovascular disease (CVD) including stroke and diabetes, musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), mental health conditions and dementia.
Currently in England:
- 5.4 million people live with CVD
- around 8.6 million live with CRDs
- 8.2 million people live with mental health issues
The major conditions strategy will build on government action that has already helped to tackle major conditions and improve health outcomes. This includes work to tackle waiting lists for planned NHS treatments through the elective recovery plan and to improve cancer treatment and survival rates. Intelligent Health is calling for greater emphasis on the power of community-led physical activity programmes like Beat the Street in early prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
Dr William Bird MBE, Practicing GP, Founder and CEO of Intelligent Health said:
“We need to be aware of the causes of some of the major conditions to have a better chance of preventing the onset of some NCDs and look after our health. Physical activity is one of the simplest ways to avoid chronic inflammation, which is a major catalyst to so many major conditions such as cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The more we are physically active, connected to nature , clean up our diet, reduce air pollution and our expose to it and get good qualiy sleep, the more likely we are to reduce chronic inflamation and the diseases that follow. That is our reason at Intelligent Health to do as much as we can to engage people in the UK from the most deprived communities and enable them to be more physically active, bring them closer to the people around them and give them a sense of belonging to build up resiliece, and in turn, improve their wellbeing “
Read our response below:
Major Conditions Strategy Call for Evidence Intelligent Health June 2023
