MPs and Parliamentarians have come together to discuss how work, and workplaces, can be better used to make us healthier.
The first meeting has been held of a new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) addressing health in workplaces and public spaces: the APPG on Healthy Places.
The APPG is an informal cross-party grouping designed to bring together MPs and Lords who share a common interest in a particular policy area.
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There are APPGs that cover all areas of interest to politicians, and this latest one has been brought together after lobbying by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).
It is aiming to “provide a forum for Parliamentarians to discuss the role of diverse settings in improving health outcomes, and the potential for services delivered in these settings to create a healthier country.”
The APPG, further, intends to bring together parliamentarians, experts and others to discuss what needs to change to build healthier places and spaces, prevent the onset of health conditions and reduce pressure on the NHS.
The APPG is being chaired by Beccy Cooper, Labour MP for Worthing West. The first meeting discussed a recent report by the RSPH on the impact workplaces have on the health and productivity of the nation.
Parliamentarians also considered RSPH research suggesting that more than a million people currently do not have access to basic health support at work.
The event heard from businesses, trade unions and public health professionals about how government and businesses can work together to ensure better health outcomes for the workforce, said RSPH.
This included discussion around how workplaces should prioritise how they can contribute positively to our mental and physical health; how the UK can better deliver health services in workplaces through occupational health provision; and how occupational health can be adapted and administered to different workforces and businesses, including SMEs and large businesses.
“It was clear that there was a desire to do more and go further, including from the MPs who attended the meeting, and we hope government will use the coming months to set out a clear plan for how they will support employers to improve the health of their workforce,” the RSPH said of the initial meeting.
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