Public Health: Business

(asked on 24th October 2014) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the emphasis placed on tackling and preventing lifestyle-related diseases in the NHS Five Year Forward View, published in October 2014, whether he has any plans to review and reform the voluntary responsibility deal.


Answered by
 Portrait
Jane Ellison
This question was answered on 29th October 2014

The emphasis placed on tackling and preventing lifestyle-related diseases in the NHS Five Year Forward View underlines the importance of the Public Health Responsibility Deal and the part it plays in supporting people to make healthier choices and tackle the behaviours which lead to chronic health conditions. Over 700 community, voluntary, public sector (National Health Service as well as national and local Government), public health and commercial organisations have signed up to play their part in improving public health.

The Deal is already focussed on tackling many of the key causes of lifestyle-related ill health outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View, including obesity, smoking and harmful drinking. The Deal’s pledges tackle a wide range of issues, including: healthier diets (e.g. reformulation for reduced salt levels, elimination of trans-fats and calorie reduction); fostering a culture of responsible drinking (e.g. lower alcohol by volume products, alcohol labelling, increasing awareness of alcohol units); increasing physical activity levels (e.g. physical activity in the workplace and active travel) and improving the health of their staff (e.g. accreditation of occupational health services, supporting employees with mental health conditions in the workplace, smoking cessation and healthier staff restaurants). The Deal will continue to play an important part in delivering these ambitions.

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