Health Incentives Scheme — House of Commons, 2021-10-22
Topic: Health
Margaret Ann Throup (Conservative, Centre-right): Mr Speaker, with permission, I would like to give a statement on our mission to help people live healthier lives. The covid-19 pandemic has exposed so many vulnerabilities in our nation’s health and highlighted stark inequalities that we must work hard to put right. As a Government, we want to do everything in our power to tackle these disparities and to help people live in better health for longer We know that regular physical activity and a healthy diet are strongly linked to a higher life expectancy and a lower incidence of many chronic conditions. However, two thirds of adults in England are currently living with excess weight or obesity, and obesity-related illnesses cost the NHS £6 billion a year. Not only this, but obesity is more prevalent among the most deprived areas, so a vital part of our mission to level up across the nation must be to level up the nation’s health, and give everyone the tools and support they need to make a positive change to their daily lives Earlier this year, we announced £100 million of funding to help those living with obesity move towards a healthier weight, and this month we have launched our Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, which has a relentless focus on prevention and tackling health disparities across the UK. Obesity policies cannot just be about sticks; we must also reward healthy behaviours. Today, I would like to update the House on the next step in our plans—our new health incentives scheme. The evidence shows that incentives can have an important role in improving rates of physical activity and encouraging healthier eating. For example, in Singapore, its national steps challenge has shown promising results, so we have been looking at what we can do here at home to encourage people to take the little steps that can make a difference and also to pursue a more personalised and data-driven approach to public health In England from next year, we will be piloting a new scheme to help people make positive changes to their diet, called Fit Miles. The six-month pilot will see users wearing wrist-worn devices to generate personalised health recommendations, such as boosting their step count, eating more fruit and vegetables, and lowering the size of portions. Users can collect points for making these healthy changes that will unlock rewards, which could include vouchers, discounts and gifts cards. We will be making £3 million of Government funding available for these rewards, and we will be releasing more information on the location of the pilot and how residents can take part in due course The app will be available to all adults within our pilot area, but will have a particular focus on those who are not physically active and have poor diets, as well as traditionally under-served groups—for example, those in areas of high deprivation. I would like to reassure hon. Members that the app will have the strongest standards of privacy and security, and we will make sure personal information is always kept safe. This groundbreaking new pilot offers a brilliant opportunity to explore how best to inspire people to make positive changes to their daily lives, and it is a fantastic example of how Government, business and the third sector can work together to make a difference. I would like to thank HeadUp Systems for providing its international expertise in data science and health technology, and Sir Keith Mills, who has been advising the Government on how we can best make use of these incentives. We have been able to bring to bear his vast experience of working on reward programmes such as Airmiles and Nectar points, and I would like to thank him for his invaluable support There is no greater gift than the gift of good health, and we are determined to make sure that people across the country can live in better health for longer. If we get this right, it will be good for our NHS, good for our economy and good for our society. This is a mission that the whole House can get behind, and today’s important announcement is a great step forward for all of us. I commend this statement to the House.