Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s – consultation document

The prevention green paper was published in the very last days of Theresa May’s tenure as prime minister. It describes a large range of initiatives and actions to be implemented in the 2020s with some key areas as:

• A forthcoming national review of NHS health check to make sure it is fit for purpose for the next decade
• The third chapter of the childhood obesity plan is included in the green paper
• Greater co-commissioning between local government and the NHS is expected, particularly on sexual health and reproductive health services
• The development of a new national sexual health strategy
• The document includes questions for consultation – responses required by 14^th October

While the publication of the green paper and many of its measures, such as greater personalisation, smoke-free England ambitions and banning the sale of energy drinks to children under 16, have been welcomed, there have also been many criticisms. Chief of these are the lack of financial underpinning, whether the new Prime Minister will support ‘sin-taxes’, and perceived lack of ambition for tackling the wider determinants of health.