In February 1998, the Government published its plans to improve health in a consultation documentation called Our Healthier Nation. 

The plans aim to:

1. Help everyone enjoy more years of life that are free of illness.
2. Improve the health of the worst off in society and narrow the health gap.

Things that affect our health

The health plans will work on things that affect our health, most of them are beyond the provision of health care.  These include:

• Environmental issues such as pollution, occupational hazards, road safety.
• Social and economic things such as employment, safety from crime and violence, social networks.
• Lifestyles, enjoying healthy living, managing stress and avoiding health damaging behaviour such as smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol.
• Services such as appropriate medical care, health information, leisure facilities, Internet access in libraries.

Living, working and playing in healthy places

These plans are a call for all concerned:  Health services, councils, voluntary groups, businesses, as well as communities and individuals to work together to develop healthy places where we live, work and play, i.e. healthy schools, neighbourhoods and workplaces.

Health targets

To focus the efforts, priorities will be around significant causes of death and poor health and diseases, which have marked differences among sectors of society.

These are: heart disease and stroke, accidents, cancer and mental health.

With your involvement we can make this work

You might live or work in Kingston and through your own experience and knowledge, you might have a certain perspective on what is affecting health in the neighbourhoods, schools, or workplaces that you are involved in.

If you do have any suggestions or feel you would like to contribute, please write to the Director of Public Health at the following address:

Dr Carole Martin
Director of Public Health
Kingston and Richmond Health Authority
22 Hollyfield Road
Surbiton
KT5 9ASL