logo
UK high streets falling ‘short of mark' promoting health and well-being

UK high streets falling ‘short of mark' promoting health and well-being

Some 87% of people surveyed for the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) say their high street does not have enough of at least one of the essential amenities needed for healthy living, including green space to rest or exercise, socialising spaces such as cafes or pubs, infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, good transport links or even safe and clean areas.
The charity's Streets Ahead report found that 53% of the public, equivalent to 36 million people, say their local high street does not have enough shops selling healthy food.
The RSPH is calling for changes to the tax system to make online retailers increase their contributions, with the money raised being used to improve the high street.
It also wants the Government to require businesses and landlords to work with local authorities to help create 'healthy high street' plans in order to get approval for private developments on or around high streets.
The report suggests that high streets could 'hold the key' to promoting healthier behaviour among the general population, which could reverse rising rates of ill health.
As it stands, the report claims the UK's high streets fall 'well short of the mark' on promoting health and well-being in the population.
RSPH chief executive William Roberts said: 'High streets are an essential part of our society. For hundreds of years, they have been a cornerstone and they shape our experiences and our lives.
'For far too long we have allowed the gradual decline of our high streets to continue.
'Instead of the bustling hubs of community they once were, we have become far too used to seeing boarded up shops and our high streets lined with businesses that perpetuate ill health.
'We can do better. We want everyone in this country to feel that their local high street is good for their health and to be proud of their local areas. People want to be healthy and the places they spend time in need to support them to make healthier choices.
'For us, healthy places includes healthy high streets. We need to be ambitious for our high streets and that ambition to be backed up by action. This landmark new report sets out a road map for change at a national and local level.'
Deltapoll surveyed 1,988 UK adults online March 3-11.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

East Kilbride MSP praises Scottish Government for delivering more NHS appointments
East Kilbride MSP praises Scottish Government for delivering more NHS appointments

Daily Record

time5 hours ago

  • Daily Record

East Kilbride MSP praises Scottish Government for delivering more NHS appointments

This extra boost to the NHS will see the Scottish Government reduce waiting times and backlogs for key services, including for cancer, dermatology and diagnostic services like imaging. East Kilbride's MSP has praised the Scottish Government for delivering more NHS appointments. ‌ In May, the First Minister committed in his Programme for Government to delivering 150,000 additional NHS appointments and procedures. ‌ Now, more than 210,000 appointments will be delivered in total, backed by £110 million of Scottish Government funding. ‌ This extra boost to the NHS will see the Scottish Government reduce waiting times and backlogs for key services, including for cancer, dermatology and diagnostic services like imaging. This announcement will mean it is easier for people across Scotland to see a doctor and receive the treatment they need more quickly. ‌ Collette Stevenson MSP said: 'Scotland's NHS is a valued public resource that people across East Kilbride rely on. 'Despite challenges in recent years, from the impact of Covid to recruitment challenges because of Brexit, the SNP government is investing record sums in getting Scotland's NHS back on track. 'First Minister John Swinney promised to deliver 150,000 extra appointments in Scotland's NHS. ‌ 'The SNP Government is not just delivering on its promise - but will exceed it, delivering more than 210,000 appointments and procedures across Scotland this year. This will make a huge difference for people receiving treatment from NHS Lanarkshire. 'I want to pay tribute to NHS staff in East Kilbride, whose hard work and commitment to the service of their communities makes this vital progress possible.' An extra £4 million of funding has been allocated towards dermatology - taking the overall total that ministers are providing as part of efforts to cut waiting lists to £110 million. ‌ The cash should allow 4,100 more dermatology outpatient appointments to be carried out this year than there were last year. The announcement comes as First Minister John Swinney and his Health Secretary Neil Gray continued to focus on cutting the longest waits for treatment. The Scottish Government hopes these efforts will mean 213,000 more NHS appointments are carried out this year than there were in 2024-25. ‌ The health service is expected to deliver 195,000 scans in 2025-26, along with 88,000 new outpatient appointments and 31,000 inpatient or day case procedures. The increases come as the Government continues its efforts to tackle waiting times for treatment after backlogs increased during the Covid pandemic. Mr Gray declared: 'Reducing long waits in the NHS is one of the biggest priorities for the First Minister and the Scottish Government. ‌ 'Our record investment in the NHS this year is allowing us to target specific areas that are experiencing long waits, reducing backlogs and getting people the appointments and treatments they need as quickly as possible.' The Health Secretary continued: 'I am pleased to confirm that we expect the additional funding committed to reduce waiting times to result in more than 300,000 appointments and procedures this year. 'My thanks go out to all the hard-working NHS teams for their continued efforts. ‌ 'I am announcing an additional £4 million specifically for dermatology. 'We know that this is an area with significant backlogs, so by investing in increased capacity we hope to be able to reduce waiting times for this speciality.' *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. Article continues below

Huge change to Tesco Clubcards in fruit and veg campaign
Huge change to Tesco Clubcards in fruit and veg campaign

North Wales Live

time10 hours ago

  • North Wales Live

Huge change to Tesco Clubcards in fruit and veg campaign

Tesco is launching a campaign to help families eat more fruit and veg, as Government figures show fewer than 1 in 10 children and 1 in 5 adults eat the recommended five-a-day. The campaign will run across Tesco stores and online to help incentivise customers to make healthier choices through offers and recipe inspiration. From 24 July, around 4 million customers will be invited to earn personalised Clubcard stamps on fresh fruit and veg, which can be converted into bonus Clubcard points and vouchers to spend in store. Millions of customers will also be able to earn extra points through new Clubcard Challenges on frozen fruit and veg, beans and pulses. New Clubcard Prices and offers will be available across the summer on fruit, veg and healthy lunchbox snacks, on top of weekly Fresh 5 offers on five-a-day basics. A revamped 5-a-day hub on the Tesco Real Food website will provide recipe ideas and inspiration. In addition, from 4-17 August, children shopping with their families in Tesco stores will be able to pick up free fruit at checkout. Tesco expects to give away over 3.5 million apples over two weeks. Ashwin Prasad, UK CEO, Tesco, said: 'We understand that for many, there are barriers that make healthy eating feel hard. We want to help our customers make small changes that amount to big health benefits for themselves and their families. That's why we're setting out to make healthy choices easier every day, starting with new offers and support for families in store this summer. We're bringing customers new ways to earn Clubcard points and vouchers as a fun and engaging way to help them towards their five-a-day, on top of new and existing great value offers on healthy staples.' Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 'Obesity has doubled since the 1990s and costs our NHS £11 billion a year. Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable. But we can't do this alone. The declining health of the nation requires a national mission, working with all parts of our society – from industry to influencers – to reverse the decline and make sure that kids today grow up to be part of the healthiest generation ever. Our brilliant supermarkets already do so much work for our communities and are trying to make their stores heathier, and we want to work with them and other businesses to create a level playing field. 'I'm grateful to Tesco for picking up the mantle and helping tackle this crisis by making it easier and more affordable for families and kids to eat fresh fruit and veg. Our new healthy food standard – a world first announced in our 10 Year Health Plan – will help us make the shift from sickness to prevention through our Plan for Change, making sure the NHS can be there for us when we need it.' Elaine Hindal, CEO, British Nutrition Foundation, said: 'The most recent release of the UK National Diet & Nutrition Survey again underlined the need for urgent action to improve access to healthy and sustainable diets. Delivering the change we need, at pace and at scale, can only be achieved through effective partnership with all stakeholders. We are proud of our strong partnership with Tesco which, through the recent series of Health Consultations, uncovered new and valuable insights that will inform Tesco's commitment to healthier diets today and for future generations'.

Disabled people could be helped back into work with new right similar to maternity law
Disabled people could be helped back into work with new right similar to maternity law

Daily Record

time14 hours ago

  • Daily Record

Disabled people could be helped back into work with new right similar to maternity law

The Resolution Foundation said around 12 per cent of disabled staff leave work each year, 1.5-times the rate of non-disabled workers. A new report suggests that people with disabilities could be helped back into work with similar protections as those for women returning from maternity leave. A new right to reintegration for workers on sick leave could see firms prevented from dismissing someone unless it is shown the employer has made sufficient efforts at reintegrating the person, the Resolution Foundation think tank said. ‌ They said such a right would 'would clarify and strengthen existing legal protections' under the Equality Act and 'provide a much stronger message to workers about what they are entitled to'. ‌ The report warned that the UK Government risks failing to meet its aim to raise the employment rate to 80 per cent without a 'serious strategy to shift employer behaviour' and argues employers must be incentivised to reintegrate existing workers back into jobs. ‌ The report comes in the same week as the Universal Credit Bill cleared the House of Lords, aimed at rebalancing the benefit 'to remove work disincentives', according to a Government minister, while giving existing claimants 'the security and certainty they need'. In its report, the Resolution Foundation said around 12 per cent of disabled staff leave work each year - consistently 1.5-times the rate of non-disabled workers. It added that twice as many people move from work into inactivity due to ill health - around 304,000 each year - than those moving the other way (around 151,000). ‌ But the think tank said despite there being 'strong' legal obligations in place already on employers, they are 'simply not doing enough to retain existing workers', with fewer than half of disabled workers who request a reasonable adjustment - which can include a change to working arrangements or provision of equipment, services or support - having this granted in full. With 15 per cent of disabled people reporting workplace discrimination relating to their disability in 2022, the report said this remains a 'pressing issue'. ‌ The think tank said: 'Boosting disability employment is not straightforward: it will involve improvements to the health system, benefits system and world of work. But action to incentivise and support employers is a vital piece of the puzzle.' Louise Murphy, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: 'The Government should do more to incentivise firms to employ disabled people - especially those who have been out of work for long periods - but employers need to do more in return. 'A new right to reintegration could help disabled workers back into work in the same way that maternity rights transformed women's employment prospects a generation ago.' ‌ The foundation said the new right could be enforced through employment tribunals, but urged the Government to also consider 'more proactive enforcement mechanisms, whether via the Equalities and Human Rights Commission or connected to a new system of caseworkers that are expected to be covered in the forthcoming Mayfield Review'. Former John Lewis boss, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is undertaking a review to investigate how Government and businesses can work together to support ill and disabled people into work, with a report expected in autumn. The Government has been contacted for comment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store