Nicola Blackwood, a minister at the Department of Health (DoH), answered questions about GP interventions and physical health, and also revealed the development of an Education Cascade Model to help physiotherapists, midwives and mental health nurses encourage their patients use activity as a preventative measure and treatment.
This model has been created as part of a partnership between Sport England and Public Health England (PHE) that started last month. The new model will help tackle the cost of inactivity in England, currently estimated to be £7.4 billion a year.
There will also be a pilot launching soon where 21 clinical nurses champion projects, which emphasise the importance of physical activity for practicing nurses, and will be delivered alongside the Burdett Trust for Nursing. Each pilot will be tailored to and focused on the specific needs of each local area.
This partnership between PHE and Sport England reinforces the drive towards better collaboration and will help highlight the benefits of physical activity during a time of increased childhood obesity and pressure on the NHS. This type of joined-up working was highlighted in the government’s Sporting Future strategy as necessary if it’s to work effectively.
