Public Health England priorities for 2019-20
PHE (Public Health England) has a broad and varied remit that comprises the superior aims of ‘improving the health of nation and wellbeing’. In a time of stretched resources and rising demand, for 2019-20 PHE has outlined its focus areas in a new plan, here is what main care needs to know.
Steve Brine MP, the parliamentary under-secretary for public health and primary care writes, ‘There is a major role of PHE in supporting the system for improving and maintaining outcomes and to live within its means.’ Addressed to chief executive of PHE but published in its total online, his letter sets out the priorities of government for public health improvement and intervention for the next year. For 2019, the priorities that relate to primary care mainly include:
Childhood obesity
Steve Brine says PHE has the main role to play in achieving the commitment of government by 2030, to halve childhood obesity. This includes working with industry on calorie and sugar reduction programmes and supporting the delivery of the obesity-related approaches.
Predictive prevention
Public Health England will invest more in ‘predictive prevention’, its targeted and digitally-enabled social marketing platform that aims to identify better and target patients and populations with healthcare advice and information.
Smoking
The use of tobacco is never out of the headlines and remains a main focus for PHE and GP practices alike. During the next year PHE will carry on to campaign against smoking as well as encourage smokers to stop.
Immunisation
PHE will spotlight on supporting NHS England to improve childhood vaccination uptake. It will also focus on the planning and delivery of an extension of the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccination programme to eligible teenager boys.
Healthy Child Programme
The Healthy Child Programme, as part of modernizing, at first focused on the first 1001 days and early years. PHE will produce a maternity and pre-conception for reducing the risk and improve wellbeing and will also publish language and communication for improving outcomes for children.
Sexual and reproductive health
PHE will maintain the commissioning and delivery of services with an objective for reducing potential variations in outcomes for sexual health and reproductive as well as HIV across England.
