The Major Conditions strategy seeks to prioritise the prevention, early detection and treatment of six major groups of health conditions:
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Chronic respiratory diseases
- Dementia
- Mental ill health
- Musculoskeletal disorders
These conditions significantly impact people's health outcomes and are the main contributors to the overall disease burden in England.
The Department for Health and Social Care announced a call for evidence to inform the strategy. RCPCH worked with the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) and the Association of Paediatric Palliative Medicine (APPM) to develop a full response. Our response highlights the importance of the Major Conditions Strategy specifically addressing the needs of children and young people, and not focusing exclusively on adults and frailty,
Our full response to the is available to download below.
In the response, we highlight:
- The need to focus on children and young people: The response emphasizes the need for specific policy interventions aimed at children and young people as a distinct group with their own needs. It calls for the strategy to take a life-course approach that recognizes the need to focus on prevention and effective treatment in the earliest year, highlighting the poor child health outcomes compared to other countries.
- Prevention in childhood: Preventing each of the six major conditions starts by preventing and addressing ill health in childhood, as many chronic illnesses and mental health conditions have their origins in childhood and early life.
- Addressing risk factors such as obesity early: The rising rates of childhood obesity are highlighted as a major risk factor for various major conditions. It is stated that nearly a quarter of children leaving primary school in the UK are obese, and 80% of obese children will remain obese as adults. Intervening in childhood is essential.
- Timely access to children’s health services: The response expresses concern over long waiting times for children’s health services and the growing gap between children and adult service delivery. It emphasizes the need for timely access to health services and calls for urgent investment to improve children’s health services.
- Investing in children's health: The response highlights the importance of investing in children's health to deliver on the aims of the Major Conditions Strategy to increase healthy life expectancy, reduce pressure on the health system, and mitigate the impact of ill health on the labour market