In a speech today, Mark Drakeford will call on the people of Wales to become ‘custodians’ of their own health
A “new bargain” needs to be struck between the people of Wales and the health service if the NHS is to continue to to thrive during and beyond the age of austerity, Health Minister Mark Drakeford will warn today.
Speaking at the NHS Confederation’s conference in Liverpool, Prof Drakeford will call on people in Wales to take more responsibility for their own health, instead of merely handing over ownership of their problems to the health service to deal with. He will say that while it is the role of the Welsh Government to create the right conditions for people to live healthier lives, members of the public must take advantage of this and fulfil their “duty” to look after themselves, becoming “custodians” of their own health.
He will tell delegates: “Governments have a responsibility to create the right conditions in which individuals can live full and healthy lives, taking responsibility for their own health.
“Each of us has a duty to look after ourselves – we must all become custodians of our own health, instead of handing ownership of our health to the nearest professional as we have traditionally done. “The NHS is there to help us in our time of need but with that comes a responsibility to use its resources wisely. The NHS is free from charge but not free from obligation.
“This then is the new bargain in this ongoing age of austerity – it is the bargain of co-production at an individual and population level. “At an individual level, the health professional and patient must work together, rather than the patient putting their health problem in the hand of the nurse, GP or consultant. The conversation we have with patients cannot always open with the question ‘What can I do for you?’ as though the encounter is one in which the health service takes onto its own shoulders the whole of the responsibility for that encounter.
“On a population level, the new bargain means that everyone accepts responsibility for their own health and a responsibility for managing demand on the NHS while the Welsh Government helps create an environment where it is easier to make healthier decisions while also safeguarding an NHS which remains firm to Bevan’s founding principles of universality, equity and free at the point of delivery.”
His comments come just weeks after the latest Welsh Health Survey showed the number of adults classed as overweight or obese stands at 58%, with 22% of people in the “obese” category alone. Meanwhile, the number of people drinking more alcohol than recommended stands at 42% and 26% of people admit binge-drinking. Just 29% of people do 30 minutes of exercise five times a week and only 33% of people eat five fruit or vegetables a day. But the survey showed some progress in tackling the rates of smoking as prevalence fell from 23% to 21% between 2012 and 2013.
Prof Drakeford’s speech will also echo his commitment to the idea of prudent healthcare, which he first outlined in January and follows the principle that the NHS should focus on what would work best for patients and make the most effective use of available resources.
He is set to highlight examples of where Wales has led the way in terms of improving public health including becoming the first in the UK to vote in favour of banning smoking in enclosed public places and introducing a mandatory food hygiene rating scheme.
He will also point to further proposals outlined in the Welsh Government’s public health white paper, which was published earlier this year. The measures include the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol of 50p per unit to tackle alcohol-related harm and for Wales to become the first in the UK to introduce a ban on e-cigarettes in public places.
Other proposals, which will be subject to consultation until June 24, include whether to make it an offence to deliver a tobacco product ordered online to someone under 18, even if the item was ordered by an adult, and introducing a national register for businesses providing cosmetic piercing, tattooing, semi-permanent skin colouring, acupuncture and electrolysis hair removal.
He will say: “Wales has a strong history of responding to citizens’ concerns and introducing practical regulations which make a positive contribution to protecting health “Taking concerted, collective action to address public health concerns remains one of the most powerful contributions any government can make to the welfare and wellbeing of its population. And I’m very proud that Wales has a long and progressive tradition when it comes to taking action to protect public health in Wales.
“For the nay-sayers, any attempt to protect public health is met with the inevitable cries of nanny-statism but our proposals, such as those outlined in our public health white paper, take a preventative approach by seeking to intervene at points which have most potential for long-term benefits, both in the health of individuals and in helping avoid higher, long-term societal and financial costs associated with avoidable ill health.”
New bargain’ to be struck between public and health service for NHS to thrive in austerity, warns Health Minister Mark Drakeford by Julia McWatt in Wales Online
