Opportunity to inform government proposals on health prevention.
The Government has launched a new ‘Green Paper’ consultation on its plans for health prevention. Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government, allowing people both inside and outside Parliament to give feedback on its policy or legislative proposals.
‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ outlines government proposals and plans on a range of health issues, including obesity, mental health and wellbeing, dementia, musculoskeletal conditions, breastfeeding, inequalities, and the use of data in research.
The commitments outlined in the green paper signal a new approach to public health – one that puts prevention at the centre of decision-making. Drawing on longitudinal evidence it recognises the importance of early intervention, emphasising the need to focus on risk and protective factors. It highlights the benefits of breastfeeding, importance of speech, language and communications skills in the early years of life, and the need for high quality research delivering an evidence base that draws on a range of disciplines.
Specific questions relevant to longitudinal research include:
- Which health and social care policies should be reviewed to improve the health of people living in poorer communities, or excluded groups?
- How can we do more to support mothers to breastfeed?
- What would you like to see included in a call for evidence on musculoskeletal health?
- What other areas (in addition to those set out in the green paper) would you like future government policy on prevention to cover?
The deadline for consultation responses is Monday 14 October 2019. The government aims to publish a response by spring 2020, setting out their proposals in more detail.
Find out more about the consultation in the Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s Green Paper.
You can have your say by responding to the consultation on the gov.uk website.
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