Transforming the Nation's Health

Submitted by: 10 members.
Mover: Daisy Cooper MP (Spokesperson for Health and Social Care).
Summation: Lord Allan (Lords Spokesperson for Health and Social Care).

Conference notes with concern that:

1. The United Kingdom is lagging behind its peers when it comes to people's health - it is 29th in the Global obesity rankings, has the worst healthy life expectancy in Western Europe, and according to one study has the worst mental health in the world.
2. A quarter of a million more Britons died sooner than expected compared to our European peers between 2012 and 2022.
3. Health inequalities are on the rise - a man in Kensington and Chelsea can now expect to live for 27 years longer than a man in Blackpool.
4. Two-thirds of the adult UK population is overweight - the NHS spends a tenth of its entire budget on treating diabetes, and the proportion is rising year on year.
5. The public health grant has been cut by 26% on a real- terms per person basis since 2015/16.
6. Since the Covid-19 pandemic economic inactivity in the UK has increased by around 700,000 people to 2.5 million, with ill health being the main reason reported by people aged 50 to 69.
7. Smoking, obesity and mental-health-related issues alone are estimated to cost the UK economy almost £200 billion per year.
8. More than 7 million people are currently waiting for treatment on the NHS, cancer wait times targets continue to be missed across the board, and demand for GP services continues to outstrip supply.

Conference believes that:

1. The UK should be one of the healthiest countries in the world.
2. Government should actively support its citizens to lead healthy lives by empowering individuals to improve their own health, creating healthier environments, and funding communities to decide how to better their health.
3. The Conservatives have squandered numerous opportunities to reform public health, and take easy steps to improve children's health in particular
4. A key way to improve people's health and wellbeing, alleviate the pressure on NHS services and to spend tax-payers money more effectively, both now and in the future, is to invest in prevention by expanding public health initiatives and primary care.

Conference reaffirms commitments to:

1. Closing many of the loopholes that exist in the current sugar levy and extending it to include juice- and milk-based drinks that are high in added sugar.
2. Restricting how products high in fat, salt and sugar are marketed and advertised by retailers.
3. Reducing smoking rates by introducing a new levy on tobacco companies to contribute to the costs of healthcare and smoking cessation services.
4. Reversing government cuts to public health grants.
5. Legislating for a right to clean air.

Conference reaffirms commitments to:

1. Improving the health of the nation to be the central driving mission for this and the next government, with a shift in focus to preventing ill health, tackling health inequalities, adopting an 'invest to save' funding model and the creation of a 'health creation' unit in the Cabinet Office to ensure that all legislation maximises opportunities for improving the nation's health.
2. The progressive restoration of the Public Health Grant to at least 2015 levels, with a proportion of these funds be set aside for local communities experiencing the worst health inequalities to co-design, co-deliver, and co-produce plans on how the money should be spent.
3. A concerted effort to improve children's health, including an end to the sale of energy drinks to under 16s; adverts promoting junk-food to only be allowed after 9pm to ensure that they are less likely to be seen by children, and for local authorities to be given the powers to limit the location and number of junk-food advertising and unhealthy food outlets in the vicinity of nurseries and schools.
4. The launch of a government-backed nation-wide public health campaign working with local authorities and Directors of Public Health, to get the country moving, encourage exercise and strength training, and forming healthier habits, backed by a dedicated bank holiday dedicated to healthier lifestyles events nationwide.
5. Higher food standards in schools, colleges, care homes, nurseries, prisons, and universities, and hospitals so that everyone in a publicly-funded setting is offered a healthy and balanced diet.
6. The halt of the dangerous use of vapes amongst children and non-smokers by introducing tougher regulation on vapes, such as standardised packaging including health warnings on types of vapes containing harmful ingredients, an end to toy-like advertising targeted at children, a ban on the sale of single use vapes, and the licensing of their sales, whilst recognising their role in smoking cessation for adult.
7. The development in association with local authorities of a range of public health clinics within community spaces (for example pharmacies, libraries, job centres and community centres), to reach those who are less likely or able to seek health care from their GP, which could offer blood pressure checks, diabetes checks, cholesterol checks, family planning clinics, mental health clinics, smoking cessation clinics; employers could also offer these ‘health clinics’ to their employees/volunteers where budgets are available.
8. An expansion of social prescribing by sharing best practice across the NHS Primary Care sector, and investment in community projects that bring people together to combat loneliness.
9. A new kite-mark for health apps and digital tools that are clinically proven to help people lead healthier lives so patients can take control of their own health.
10. A consultation on a new national designation of 'critical health infrastructure' to cover local authority swimming pools and leisure centres for example, to ensure that people's access to affordable local health facilities is not overlooked in future national crises.

Applicability: England only; except a) (lines 45-47), c) (lines 50-52), 'adverts promoting junk-food to only be allowed after 9pm to ensure that they are less likely to be seen by children' in 3. (in lines 69-71) and 6. (lines 84-89), which are Federal.

Motion before amendment

Conference notes with concern that:

1. The United Kingdom is lagging behind its peers when it comes to people's health - it is 29th in the Global obesity rankings, has the worst healthy life expectancy in Western Europe, and according to one study has the worst mental health in the world.
2. A quarter of a million more Britons died sooner than expected compared to our European peers between 2012 and 2022.
3. Health inequalities are on the rise - the life expectancy of a man in Kensington and Chelsea can now expect to live for 27 years longer than a man in Blackpool.
4. Two-thirds of the adult UK population is overweight - the NHS spends a tenth of its entire budget on treating diabetes, and the proportion is rising year on year.
5. The public health grant has been cut by 26% on a real- terms per person basis since 2015/16.
6. Since the Covid-19 pandemic economic inactivity in the UK has increased by around 700,000 people to 2.5 million, with ill health being the main reason reported by people aged 50 to 69.
7. Smoking, obesity and mental-health-related issues alone are estimated to cost the UK economy almost £200 billion per year.
8. More than 7 million people are currently waiting for treatment on the NHS, cancer wait times targets continue to be missed across the board, and demand for GP services continues to outstrip supply.

Conference believes that:

1. The UK should be one of the healthiest countries in the world.
2. Government should actively support its citizens to lead healthy lives by empowering individuals to improve their own health, creating healthier environments, and funding communities to decide how to better their health.
3. The Conservatives have squandered numerous opportunities to reform public health, and take easy steps to improve children's health in particular
4. A key way to improve people's health and wellbeing, alleviate the pressure on NHS services and to spend tax-payers money more effectively, both now and in the future, is to invest in prevention by expanding public health initiatives and primary care.

Conference reaffirms commitments to:

1. Closing many of the loopholes that exist in the current sugar levy and extending it to include juice- and milk-based drinks that are high in added sugar.
2. Restricting how products high in fat, salt and sugar are marketed and advertised by retailers.
3. Reducing smoking rates by introducing a new levy on tobacco companies to contribute to the costs of healthcare and smoking cessation services.
4. Reversing government cuts to public health grants.
5. Legislating for a right to clean air.

Conference reaffirms commitments to:

1. Improving the health of the nation to be the central driving mission for this and the next government, with a shift in focus to preventing ill health, tackling health inequalities, adopting an 'invest to save' funding model and the creation of a 'health creation' unit in the Cabinet Office to ensure that all legislation maximises opportunities for improving the nation's health.
2. The progressive restoration of the Public Health Grant to 2015 levels, with a proportion of these funds be set aside for local communities experiencing the worst health inequalities to co-produce plans on how the money should be spent.
3. A concerted effort to improve children's health, including an end to the sale of energy drinks to under 16s; adverts promoting junk-food to only be allowed after 9pm to ensure that they are less likely to be seen by children, and for local authorities to be given the powers to limit the location and number of junk-food advertising and unhealthy food outlets in the vicinity of nurseries and schools.
4. The launch of a government-backed nation-wide public health campaign to get the country moving, encourage exercise and strength training, and forming healthier habits, backed by a dedicated bank holiday dedicated to healthier lifestyles events nationwide.
5. Higher food standards in schools and hospitals so that every child and patient is receiving a healthy and balanced diet.
6. The halt of the dangerous use of vapes amongst children and non-smokers by introducing tougher regulation on vapes, such as standardised packaging, an end to toy-like advertising targeted at children, a ban on the sale of single use vapes, and the licensing of their sales, whilst recognising their role in smoking cessation for adult.
7. Improved access to blood pressure tests in community spaces, such as pharmacies, libraries, and job centres to reach those who are less likely or able to seek health care from their GP.
8. An expansion of social prescribing by sharing best practice across the NHS and GPs, and investment in community projects that bring people together to combat loneliness.
9. A new kite-mark for health apps and digital tools that are clinically proven to help people lead healthier lives so patients can take control of their own health.
10. A consultation on a new national designation of 'critical health infrastructure' to cover local authority swimming pools and leisure centres for example, to ensure that people's access to affordable local health facilities is not overlooked in future national crises.

Applicability: England only; except a) (lines 45-47), c) (lines 50-52), 'adverts promoting junk-food to only be allowed after 9pm to ensure that they are less likely to be seen by children' in 3. (in lines 69-71) and 6. (lines 84-89), which are Federal.

Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and mover and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 110-111 of the agenda.

The deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Monday 11 September. Those selected for debate will be printed in Conference Extra and Sunday’s Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 on Saturday 23 September.

Amendments

Drafting

The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendments to the motion:

In C. (line 10), delete ‘the life expectancy of’.

In 6. (line 86), after ‘packaging’ insert ‘including health warnings on types of vapes containing harmful ingredients’.

Amendment One

PASSED

Submitted by: 10 members
Mover: Lee Dargue.

In 2. (line 64), before ‘2015’ insert ‘at least’.

In 2. (line 66), before ‘co-produce’ insert ‘co-design, co-deliver, and’.

In 4. (line 77), after ‘campaign’ insert ‘working with local authorities and Directors of Public Health,’.

In 5. (line 81), after ‘schools’ insert ‘, colleges, care homes, nurseries, prisons, and universities,’.

In 5. (line 82) delete ‘every child and patient is receiving’ and insert ‘everyone in a publicly-funded setting is offered’.

Delete 7. (lines 90­–93) and insert:

7.       The development in association with local authorities of a range of public health clinics within community spaces (for example pharmacies, libraries, job centres and community centres), to reach those who are less likely or able to seek health care from their GP, which could offer blood pressure checks, diabetes checks, cholesterol checks, family planning clinics, mental health clinics, smoking cessation clinics; employers could also offer these ‘health clinics’ to their employees/volunteers where budgets are available.

In 8. (line 95), delete ‘and GPs’ and insert ‘Primary Care sector’.

Amendment Two

FAILED

Submitted by: 10 members
Mover: Lee Dargue.

Delete 6. (lines 84–89) and insert:

6. Recognition of the role of vapes in smoking cessation as a public health measure, with a legal, regulated supply involving tougher regulation such as tobacco-style plain packaging, restricted sale display, warning labels where appropriate, an end to toy-like advertising targeted at children, and licensing of their sales, with stronger enforcement of existing legislation banning vape sales to, or purchase for, under-18s. 

There will be a separate vote on lines 45–47 of the motion

FAILED - LINES RETAINED

(Closing many of the loopholes that exist in the current sugar levy and extending it to include juice- and milk-based drinks that are high in added sugar.)