By Ann Garry
The UK’s largest health coaching academy is calling on the Government to increase three preventative health measures over the next year to halt the increase in chronic disease.
The number of people suffering from a chronic disease is set to increase to more than nine million by 2040, which is almost one in five of the adult population, according to the British Medical Journal. This increase also includes a rise of more than 30% in people living with cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease.
“Urgent action is needed by the Government if we are to avert this growing crisis. Preventative measures are the most important lever we can pull to help society avoid living a longer life in poor health. It is not just the older population that needs to worry about poor health, but the younger generations too, as we see increasing numbers of younger people being diagnosed with chronic health conditions including diabetes, obesity and various mental health issues,” said Ann Garry, CEO, Health Coaches Academy.
Care of people with a long-term condition accounts for more than 70% of the money we spend on health and social care in England. The most chronic and long-term conditions include diabetes, obesity, musculoskeletal, mental health, respiratory and high blood pressure. Chronic health conditions account for 50% of all GP appointments and 70% of all hospital beds.
“We have an obesogenic environment that accepts and even encourages behaviours that fuel chronic disease, and a culture which has created a dependency on ‘experts’ to ‘fix’ us, making it difficult and challenging for people to focus on what they can do to help themselves,” continued Garry.
There are three things the government can lead on to drive change:
Train and appoint more health coaches: There are currently around 1,500 qualified Health Coaches in the NHS. We need more than 15,000 accessible to everyone, regardless of their circumstances, to achieve measurable improvements in healthcare outcomes. Health coaches provide behaviour change coaching and encourage self-care, as well as deliver lifestyle education to prevent and manage current chronic conditions. They complement medical and clinical recommendations and are a vital component to improve healthcare.
Greater collaboration between public and private organisations – There needs to be a clear strategy for the integration of care between public and private organisations to provide the level of preventative measures required to support the nation’s health. This starts at the top with a government-led strategy, but health leaders can work cross-sector to create community-led plans that can be implemented quickly and effectively across communities, such as the role of GPs in community health.
Due to various pressures, GPs often lack the time and resources to help patients implement lasting lifestyle changes. There is an opportunity here for GPs and health coaches to bridge this gap and provide the support and accountability necessary to create long-term improvements in health, such as early intervention and sustainable lifestyle modifications. Such collaborations can alleviate the burden on primary care by helping patients to manage their health more proactively, reducing the need for frequent medical consultations.
Increase the use of online tools and apps – More and more of the information we digest is digital. There are an increasing number of online tools and apps that individuals and communities could be using that they aren’t. Greater education is needed around the types of tools and apps available and their benefits, and how they can help in educating the nation about their health and wellbeing, including nutrition, fitness, and mental health.
“Seeing everyone as their own ‘expert’ with the capacity to identify their own priorities, guided by evidence-based lifestyle education to support self-care, plays a key role in moving towards a more preventative model of healthcare. We need cross nation, cross organisational and cross discipline support to drive this change and future proof the nations’ wellbeing,” concludes Garry.
