Wales’ top doctor publishes third annual report on the health of the people of Wales

Tue 5th January 2010 2.25PM

WALES’ chief medical officer has warned that preventing disease and illness is the key to a healthy future generation. Dr Tony Jewell issued the warning as he published his third annual report. Dr Jewell writes about ‘preventing the preventable’ in his 2008 report which looks at different methods of prevention to ensure the long-term health of the nation, including immunisation, screening and education. He said that more emphasis needed to be placed on preventing illhealth in the first place. Dr Jewell said: “With the increase of chronic conditions in an ageing society in Wales, money would be better spent on trying to promote health and prevent people getting chronically ill in the first place rather than being forced to spend increasing amounts on treatment.

“A broad estimate suggests that around £94 per Welsh citizen is spent per year on prevention activities – that’s only around five per cent of the Welsh health budget – while the cost of smoking alone to the NHS is £127 per citizen a year. “We need to educate and empower people to make healthy lifestyle choices. It is as much the responsibility of society as a whole to help improve people’s health as it is that of the NHS. We need to make healthy choices the easy choices. “There needs, however, to be more of a focus in primary care to determine risk factors in patients. We need to move to a model of ‘anticipatory care’, and be as interested in those patients who may not be attending check-ups as we are in those that do. “Spending more now on health prevention, including health promotion marketing campaigns, will pay both health and financial dividends for future generations.

We often say that prevention is better than cure and that is why we need to invest sufficiently in preventing the preventable.” Dr Jewell says that overall health in Wales is continuing to improve but continued action is still needed to address issues like obesity, bingedrinking and smoking. He added: “I remain concerned about the longer term impact of our unhealthy lifestyles in respect of the food we eat, what we drink and the relatively low rates of physical activity in all age groups.” Dr Jewell also points out some successes of the past year, including: The effect of the smoking ban; reducing the number of deaths from stroke in 65 to 74 year olds.

Wales continues to surpass the target set for 2012 of 135 per 100,000 with a current rate of 122 deaths per 100,000. Study show more support from nurses can help to reduce patient anxiety.