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Health linked to economic prosperity, says report
A major report from the IPPR think tank puts forward a vision for a 21st century health creation system.
Better health is the most important medicine the UK economy needs for the faster growth that the new government has identified as one of its five key missions, according to a new report.
The IPPR’s cross-party Commission on Health and Prosperity, a three-year inquiry, has published its final report which presents a comprehensive plan for a modern 21st century health creation system.
It finds that if trends continue, economic inactivity due to sickness could hit 4.3 million by the end of this parliament, up from 2.8 million today. As of the end of 2023, an estimated 900,000 extra workers are missing from work. The report calculates that these 900,000 missing workers could mean an estimated £5bn in lost tax receipts in 2024, while better population health could save the NHS £18bn per year by the mid-2030s.
It also finds that some occupations – including elementary occupations, and caring, leisure and servce roles – have seen particularly high rates of workers becoming inactive due to sickness. The rate of inactivity due to sickness is highest among the working age populations of Northern Ireland, the North East and Wales.
At the core of the Commission’s recommendations is to move from a reactive, sickness-orientated 20th century healthcare system into a proactive 21st century health creation system, working in parallel to the NHS’ ‘sickness service’. It says this could add 10 years to healthy life expectancy by 2055 and halve regional health inequalities.
Specific proposals include taxing health polluters, including unhealthy food companies; establishing ‘Health and Prosperity Improvement (HAPI) zones’, modelled on Clean Air Zones, with new powers and national investment to rebuild local health infrastructure – such as swimming pools and green spaces – in the most health-deprived areas; a guaranteed period where people in receipt of benefits can ‘try’ work with no risk to welfare status or award level, lasting months, for everyone with a long-term condition or disability, regardless of what other reforms to health benefits look like; a new ‘neighbourhood health centre’ in every part of the country: a one-stop shop for diagnostics, primary care, mental health and public health with a focus on prevention; and a new health index to provide a snapshot of how the nation’s health is changing – in a single number – to help monitor progress.
There is also a big emphasis on children’s health.
Lord Ara Darzi, former health minister and co-chair of the Commission on Health and Prosperity said: “Our Commission was among the first to identify the rising sickness as a major and immediate post-pandemic fiscal challenge. Now, as the government sets up its health mission, our final report provides a ready made policy vision for a new approach to public health.”
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