Who needs health care?: Investment in health promotion is miserably small

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1331-b

BMJ 2005;330:1331 (4 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1331-b

Letter

Who needs health care?

Investment in health promotion is miserably small

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—I was struck by the different businesses includedin the broad swipe against prevention and health promotion inHeath's article—national screening programmes, the pharmaceuticalindustry, health food stores, general practice, and NHS healthpromotion.¹

Some of the referenced targets are fair game—for example,hormone replacement therapy or prescribing statins. But thenotion that the United Kingdom invests huge amounts in "thevast bureaucracy of health promotion" was laughable.

The UK has some 2000 health promotion specialists, out of atotal workforce of 1.3 million. Fewer than two of every 1000NHS staff are devoted to health promotion and leading out onthe national agenda, "Choosing Health," alongside colleaguesin public health. Evidence for the effectiveness of health promotionis available but not mentioned—for example, reviews bythe Health Development Agency (now the National Institute forHealth and Clinical Excellence (NICE), www.publichealth.nice.org.uk)and the International Union for Health . . . [Full text of this article]

Brian Neeson, chair, Association for Health Promotion in Ireland

Health Promotion Centre, Health Service Executive, Mid-Western Area, Parkview House, Pery Street, Limerick, Republic of Ireland Brian.Neeson@mailh.hse.ie