Overview
Dr Gabriel Scally launched the South West Healthy Schools Plus Conference by asking the audience to muse on the fact that on a day where ice and snow had brought much of Southern England to a standstill, enormous resources were given over to ensuring that the roads were made safe for vehicles to negotiate whilst pedestrians were left to risk life and limb on untreated pavements.
This, he posited, highlighted the distance healthy public policy has to travel in the 21st Century. Likewise Gabriel challenged the audience to root out parochial attitudes. Whilst the South West compares favourably with the rest of the country on a range of child health issues, the picture did not look so rosy when compared with Europe. Gabriel emphasised the need for colleagues across education and health to work together to raise their game.
Whilst the South West leading the country in the number of Healthy Schools participating and gaining Healthy School Status was an excellent achievement, there is a need to build on this success. Gabriel talked about the commitment of all South West Primary Care Trusts to this new South West Healthy School Plus programme, including funding which equates to £2,000 for each school taking part.
He also underlined the need for schools to remain at the hub of communities, enabling children and young people to successfully shape their lives and persuade their parents to adopt healthier behaviour. He highlighted some particular challenges for the South West region, including:
- Reducing the high rate of smoking among 16 to 24-year-olds
- Building on the successful work on childhood obesity to reduce this even further.
To conclude, Dr Scally said: “South West Healthy Schools Plus is a fantastic opportunity for us collectively to make a real difference to lives of children and young people. It provides the opportunity for children and young people to improve their health, as well as that of their families.”