Now that the first Labour government in 14 years has been in place for eight months, we at Intelligent Health have taken this time as an opportunity to refresh our policy priorities. Our policy priorities, detailed in a mission statement, support the direction of our influence, business development and our external facing profile. Taking stock of the last three years of considered public affairs, we have determined five areas in which we believe our data, programmes and reach can support advancements in advocacy across multiple government departments, the devolved administrations and at a metro mayoral or local authority level.
Creating healthy childhoods
One of the UK Government’s key missions is to “Break Down Barriers to Opportunity” and within this is an aim to set every child up for the best start in life. ‘Getting it right for every child’ is what underpins the Scottish Government’s ambition to make Scotland the best place to grow up. At a mayoral level, the London Assembly maintains a “Commitment to a healthy environment for our youngest Londoners” as part of its Health Inequalities Strategy. We believe that we are all responsible for creating a world that fosters opportunities, and spaces, for children to experience healthy, thriving and fulfilling childhoods. Playing a significant role here, is increasing physical activity (as per the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines), encouraging environments for play and actively engaging with children and young people to determine exactly what a ‘best’ world would look like for them.
UK Government mission/s: Break down barriers to opportunity, Take back our streets
Intelligent Health programmes that can support: Beat the Street, Eco-Travel, Health Creation Index
Activating healthy and engaged communities
The UK Government is actively seeking a shift to healthcare within the community. This has been evidenced through the independent report into the NHS by Lord Darzi, and the subsequent open consultation into a 10-year plan for the NHS. Public Health Scotland has a vision for a country where everybody thrives, with a focus on prevention and early intervention. At a local authority level, Councils are underpinned by individual public health strategies and working with one of the 42 integrated care systems (ICSs) to create better services that take local need into consideration. We believe in the role of engaging with civic community to provide individuals with the tools they need to feel empowered about their health. Where nationally, steps are being made to actively engage with citizens on this topic, there are often voices that are absent and we can all take steps to ensure that all sectors of society feel part of the conversation.
UK Government mission/s: Build an NHS fit for the future, Kickstart economic growth
Intelligent Health programmes that can support: Place-based Physical Activity Clinical Champions (PACC), Roots Health Academy, Beat the Street, Health Creation Index
Nurturing a thriving natural environment
In recent years, both the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have acknowledged the relationship between nature and health, with much of this work being done under the previous government, including on green social prescribing. This was cemented in the Environmental Improvement Plan, which is currently being updated by the new Labour Government, but will likely maintain the commitment for everyone living within walking distance of a green or blue space. NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency, works with health sector professionals to promote outdoor activity and contact with nature as ways to improve the country’s health through the development of ‘Our Natural Health Service.’ The Mayor for the West of England, Dan Norris, announced a tranche of funding in November 2024, for environmental projects across the region with the aims to enhance nature, improve public health and mitigate against the impact of climate change. The funding, amounting to £2.3 million, came after the mayoral region published the first Local Nature Recovery Strategy. We have worked within the agenda for many years, advocating for the power of nature as a means to tackle many cross-departmental government identified issues. Supporting both population and planetary health, our nature-based recommendations included guidance relating to health, community development, education, environmental sustainability, economic resilience and energy security.]
UK Government mission/s: Build an NHS fit for the future, Make Britain a clean energy superpower
Intelligent Health programmes that can support: Beat the Street, Health Creation Index, Eco-Travel
Walking, wheeling and cycling towards an active nation
At the beginning of this parliamentary term, UK Government indicated intent to invest “unprecedented levels of funding” in active travel to improve health, combat climate change and reduce pressure on the NHS. Scottish Government, has placed importance on encouraging active travel for a series of years and in the 2021 Bute House Agreement, ministers committed the proportion of Transport Scotland’s budget spent on active travel to at least £320 million or 10% by 2024-25. Despite budget cuts in 2024, the Active Travel Programme for 2024-25 allocated £155 million to active travel infrastructure and behaviour change (roughly £28 per person), which is still a higher financial commitment than in the rest of the UK (£12 in England, £19 in Wales). Combined authorities are also making moves towards active travel, with many Mayors having an Active Travel Commissioner. In September 2024, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram unveiled funding of £57 million to make walking and cycling easier and safer for local communities. We have long been advocates for the substantial health benefits of active travel, primarily walking due to accessibility. Aware of the power of behaviour change, we believe we must support communities to make small everyday changes that will then enable them to make active travel choices.
UK Government mission/s: Build an NHS fit for the future, Break down barriers to opportunity, Take back our streets
Intelligent Health programmes that can support: Beat the Street, Health Creation Index, Eco-Travel
Designing healthy environments
Planning reforms are central to the UK Government’s agenda, seeking to accelerate housebuilding and deliver 1.5 million homes over this Parliament. The updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) includes a section on promoting healthy and safe communities, including planning aims to promote social interaction and to enable and support healthy lives. In 2021, Public Health Scotland published The Healthy Housing for Scotland briefing, drawing on evidence to indicate how housing influences health and wellbeing, taking account for the social determinants of health. Across mayoral regions, steps have been taken over many years to support decarbonisation across expansive urban areas, including chargeable Clean Air Zones. Most recently, Greater Manchester has announced a move towards bus decarbonisation to limit the damage to people’s health and the environment made by air pollution. In tackling health inequalities, we believe that public health is incredibly important in relation to planning decisions and that built environments must be supportive of enabling children to play and travel actively.
UK Government mission/s: Kickstart economic growth, Break down barriers to opportunity
Intelligent Health programmes that can support: Beat the Street, Health Creation Index, Eco-Travel
Reminiscent of the mission-led government, our own five missions detailed above will provide guidance for our influencing activity for the next few years. We will seek to publish our mission statement in full in the coming months. Should you have any further questions in relation to our policy work, or would like to collaborate, please contact emily.carter@intelligenthealth.co.uk
