physiotherapy and inactivity

A study just out has confirmed something we all already know; inactivity is bad for you. Oxford University have just published research suggesting that 3% of deaths in the UK are a direct result of inactive lifestyles. This is an area where physiotherapy could take a massive lead in affecting but the issue of inactivity does not only affect patients but can also an institutional attribute of health planning. Because healthcare in the UK is now largely driven by short term goals it seems unlikely that anyone is seriously likely to commit large amounts of phyiotherapy resources to treating something which needs a long term approach and also needs a wider strategy than just local health commissioning. Central to trying to help this problem is the quick fix, short term politically motivated way that healthcare is run because trying to change health through lifestyle will be slow and give results over years. Unfortunately this will not make good material for political speeches or manifestos. Maybe it's time for healthcare worker in the UK to start to make the case for a new approach to health, one not based on the waiting list as the absolute indicator of success, something which looks ahead further than the next election. If we can move away from the inactivity in health planning then it is likely that the physiotherapy profession can be key in promoting healthier lifestyles.