Our call for a National Movement Strategy

The current state of our nation’s health

Statistics published by the NHS and data from our Healthier Nation Index help shape our understanding of the overall health of the nation.

Unfortunately, we’re seeing some concerning trends that continue to impact our health and wellbeing year on year. Data from Nuffield Health's HNI reveals 3 in 4 people aren't meeting the Chief Medical Officer's recommendation for daily exercise. In addition, NHS data also tells us that: 

• 20 million people in the UK live with long-term health conditions
• People on the lowest incomes are four times more likely to have multiple long-term conditions
• 2.8 million people are economically inactive due to long-term sickness

Our National Movement Strategy

Backed by the data above, we’re calling on all political party leaders to support the adoption of our National Movement Strategy to help ease the pressure on the NHS and combat widespread issues affecting the nation’s health.

We’ve aligned our focus with other charities, academic bodies, and healthcare providers to highlight the demand for a concerted and transparent strategy that addresses widespread inactivity and a lack of movement up and down the country.

It’s our shared belief that dedicated policy in the area could dramatically improve and shape the trajectory of healthcare in the UK from both an economic and frontline functionality perspective.

Click below to view our open letter to political party leaders detailing the importance of a cohesive National Movement Strategy.

The power of movement

As the UK’s largest healthcare charity, we know just how effective movement can be as part of a broader approach to healthcare.

Our very own Joint Pain Programme demonstrates how structured, low-impact exercise can help people transform their physical condition and outlook to live happier, healthier, and more independent lives.

The We Are Undefeatable campaign headed by the Richmond Group of Charities and partners’ is another example of a successful collaborative intervention. This campaign has effectively inspired and supported people living with long-term conditions to become more active and incorporate more movement into their day-to-day lives.

The need for a cross-government approach

We believe that movement needs to become a fundamental pillar of healthcare and health improvement in the UK. That’s why we’re calling on all party leaders to commit to implementing a new and cohesive cross-government approach within the next Parliament.

This strategy must go beyond tackling inactivity to make movement a default treatment option that’s systematically integrated into our healthcare system. We believe this approach can help with the prevention, management, and treatment of those living with, or at risk of developing long-term health conditions.
 

Last updated Monday 24 June 2024

First published on Monday 24 June 2024