Preventative Healthcare

An insight into the importance of disease prevention for saving the NHS

Preventative healthcare focuses on identifying and addressing health risks before they lead to significant illness. By taking proactive steps—such as checking weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels—individuals can manage health conditions early, reducing the likelihood of complications and costly treatments down the line.

As Professor John Deanfield, the UK's first government champion for personalised prevention, points out:

"Our current approach to health is unsustainable, both for the population and the economy. A reorientation towards prevention is the only way to avert the growing health and wealth crisis."

The long-term benefits of prevention are enormous. Estimates suggest that by applying proven preventative interventions early, we could add an average of 20 healthy days per person each year, reducing the nation’s overall ill health by 33% (Deanfield, 2024). This would not only improve quality of life but could also generate a GDP boost of £320 billion over the next 20 years according to the previous Conservative UK government.

Supporting the NHS and the economy

As more people develop chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia, the demand for healthcare services increases dramatically. Hospitals and clinics are under immense pressure, and the cost of treating long-term conditions is spiralling.

Lord David Prior, former chair of the NHS, highlights the importance of a dual approach:

"A preventative system offers hope that we can actually crack the current healthcare crisis. Hospitals are the worst places to treat chronic conditions; much better to catch and manage them early, before they worsen."

Moving healthcare into the community—through localised checks on weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure—would relieve the NHS of unnecessary pressures, enabling it to focus on acute and urgent care. Such measures could also reduce the economic costs of preventable diseases, which are estimated to cost the NHS billions each year.

By making health checks a routine part of everyday life, preventative healthcare becomes more accessible and normalised. This approach reduces the stigma around health management and encourages people to take ownership of their well-being.

Expert opinions on disease prevention

Experts across the medical field advocate for a shift toward community-based preventative healthcare. Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, draws parallels to the Covid vaccination efforts:

"The dream is to have a system like the one used for Covid vaccinations—community hubs where we check for multiple health risks, allowing people to address them before symptoms arise."

Professor Martin Marshall, former chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, supports these efforts, acknowledging that GPs are currently overburdened:

"GPs can't tackle this on their own. They would be delighted to receive support for early intervention, which could help to catch health risks before they develop into more serious conditions."

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Read the original article from The Guardian here.