In my ninth independent report as Director of Public Health for Gateshead, I am presenting a case for making prevention the cornerstone of our work to improve health and tackle inequalities.
As I have said many times before, it is completely unacceptable that two babies delivered on the same day in our fabulous QE hospital can have as much as a 13-year difference in life expectancy due, almost entirely, to the circumstances into which they are born. What's more, babies in our most deprived communities can expect to live more of their already shorter lives in ill-health.
No-one should have their life mapped out before they have even taken their first breath. That's why our approach in Gateshead recognises that health is shaped by the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age - known as the building blocks of health and wellbeing.
This report uses the analogy of a game of snakes and ladders to show how our lives are affected by these building blocks. The ladders enable people to thrive, while the snakes depict challenges that have a negative impact on wellbeing.
Throughout the report, you will get to know our 'Gateshead family', which shows how prevention can make a real difference to our communities.
You will also find out about the stark health inequalities faced by Gateshead residents. These stubborn challenges sit alongside a backdrop of austerity, welfare reform, the Covid-19 pandemic and the continued rise in the cost-of-living, all of which have had the greatest impact on those in the most disadvantaged social position.
This report sets out how prevention across the life course, guided by Marmot principles and the Building Blocks of Health, can change this trajectory. Action needs to be evidence based, outcome oriented, systematic, scaled up, resourced appropriately and sustainable.
Prevention is not just about social justice. Economic prosperity is directly impacted; there is no wealth without health, nor is there health without wealth. It is two sides of the same coin.
Vitally, prioritising prevention is to protect our beloved NHS. As set out in their recently published 10 year-plan, the future of the NHS rests on this - and we have a hugely important role to play in making this happen.
