Prevention is better than cure

Launching The Kings Fund’s conference Supporting healthier lives – the shift toward prevention in London last week, chief executive Sarah Woolnough, said: ‘It’s a really important, positive, timely moment to be gathering to discuss prevention.'

© Lee Peart

© Lee Peart

Later during a morning panel discussion, Lord Geoffrey Filkin, lead author of A Covenant for Health, said there was ‘reason to be optimistic' that the new mission-led Government was serious about taking a fundamental shift towards prevention. 

Throughout the event speakers stressed the need for a holistic view on healthcare that incorporated housing, employment, education and skills, transport, and leisure and recreation. 

Keynote speaker, NHS national medical director, Professor Michael Powis, said prevention was ‘just about the most important thing the NHS needs to focus on at the moment' and there ‘had never been a more pressing time to prevent ill health'. 

Prof Powis also outlined the range of early interventions and national programmes the NHS had initiated on respiratory illness, stroke, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 

He said the NHS ‘needed to organise differently as a health system much more focused on multiple conditions' going forward, adding empowering populations through the use of technology to manage their own health would be key. 

Prof Powis said the NHS had a crucial role to play in supporting primary prevention at a population level through Government legislation as well as supporting secondary prevention through individual interactions. 

The chief medical director said the NHS had made ‘a good start' but there was ‘definitely more to do', adding ICBs would take a central role in implementing prevention policies across local populations. 

South London trust launches campaign to tackle violence against staff

South London trust launches campaign to tackle violence against staff

By Liz Wells 24 April 2025

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust has launched a new campaign aimed at reducing violence, abuse, and harassment against staff in its hospitals and community ...

GP practices embrace technology to improve patient access

By Liz Wells 24 April 2025

GPs are providing millions more appointments to people in England and better access through upgraded technology, new data shows.

Violence against ambulance staff reaches record levels

By Liz Wells 24 April 2025

Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) is calling for further interventions as violent incidents against ambulance staff reach more than 22,500 a y...


Popular articles by Lee Peart