One of my best reads this year on health and wellbeing has been Sally Davies and Jonathan Pearson- Stuttard’s book, Whose Health is it Anyway, published in November. It sets out a total health ecosystem where local government, business, the Private Sector, and social and commercial drivers invest in health, prevention etc. This is complemented by a public healthcare system that insures against illness focusing on acute services and long-term condition healthcare and social care as a completely integrated system.
Determinants of health include individual lifestyle factors, our social community neighbourhood networks, and the wider socio-economic, cultural, and environmental conditions such as employment, our work and living conditions, education and food production and agriculture . The most revolutionary thought from the authors, which I believe is of its time, is the longstanding belief by many that Health should come out of politics altogether and be replaced by a National Bank of Health, rather like the Bank of England, which is independent of the Treasury. This would also incorporate policy and a health regulation authority that is focused on the ‘whole’ sum of the parts. It works collaboratively in the interests of local population based on evidence data.
It would be fantastic, after Brexit and mass vaccinations, if we were not to slip backwards into the status quo but, rather, take the bold step of putting health and wider social wellbeing onto a higher level of importance and primary government focus. Happy New Year!