23. A sporting chance
Matter for discussion submitted by the RCN Health Visitors and Public Health Forum
That this meeting of RCN Congress discusses the opportunities for improving health in the UK in advance of the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Report on this debate
With the Olympics coming to London in 2012 and Glasgow hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014, delegates discussed the opportunities for improving health across the UK in the run up to these events.
Joanne Ashmore opened the discussion on behalf of the RCN Health Visitors and Public Health Forum. She said that the UK now has an excellent opportunity to improve health but change will take a long time to achieve so it has to start now.
Joanne said that all nurses have a role to play in driving health improvements and that having the world’s attention on the UK in 2012 and 2014 is an opportunity to show the international arena that our nurses are leaders in health promotion.
Stuart McKenzie from the Greater Glasgow branch highlighted the severe social deprivation in the area of Glasgow where the Commonwealth Games are to be held. To really make a difference in this area, Stuart said that work must start now to teach young people about healthy lifestyles and get them involved in sport.
Geoff Earle said hosting the Olympic or Commonwealth Games does increase interest in sport but not participation. He suggested that increasing participation should start with young children. He said that all primary school children should be taught key physical competencies along with their academic learning.
Background
Healthy living and physical activity were at the heart of the campaign to bring the Olympic Games to London in 2012. Winning the bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and UK support for the Commonwealth Games, will provide a focus for the health departments in all UK countries to get the population fitter and help people to enjoy healthier lives. As well as promoting elite sport, the Games will provide a platform to encourage a wider participation in sport, promote an increase in activity levels among both the healthy population and those with disease risk factors and long term conditions, and finally to promote access to sport for disabled people.
The Olympics are being held in North East London across five of the UK’s most deprived boroughs. As well as the encouraging greater participation in sport across the UK, the games will have a direct impact on the wider determinants of health in the five North East London boroughs, in that they will bring employment opportunities, improved housing and investment into the area.
The London Health and the 2012 Action Plan identifies five work streams which are now underway to deliver excellent health care in time for the Games, realise the health dividend in the run up to 2012, to contribute to the health legacy and to build a better understanding of how winning the Games can support health improvement. RCN London region staff and members have been involved in this shaping this work.
In Scotland, the health and wellbeing portfolio has been expanded to include key determinants of health – such as sport and physical activity. The Scottish Government has committed to take the opportunities offered by the Commonwealth Games in 2014 to develop sustainable and accessible community facilities, and encourage wider participation in sport and physical activity (Scottish Government, 2007).
The Welsh Assembly Government has established a 2012 Unit to look at how to maximise the benefit for Wales from the Olympics. Initiatives being discussed include establishing a network of health facilities that can be offered to Olympics teams based in Wales, and encouraging nurses to volunteer for the Olympic 'health service' so that they can develop their skills and bring back the benefits to patients. In Gwent a Going for gold scheme has been launched to encourage the public into a healthy lifestyle using the Olympics as a theme.
In Northern Ireland, promoting physical activity forms a key component of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Investing for health strategy and the DHSSPS’ 20-year vision for health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland (A healthier future) (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2004). A detailed strategy to encourage physical activity is in preparation, building upon a number of initiatives currently being promoted by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland.
The RCN has undertaken a range of public health work streams, including work on health inequalities, food and nutrition campaigns, as well as safe drinking, smoking cessation and obesity. Public health is also an RCN Council priority in the RCN 2008/9 operational plan.
References and further reading
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (2004) A healthier future: a twenty year vision for health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland 2005-2025, Belfast: DHSSPSNI. Available from: www.dhsspsni.gov.uk
Scottish Government (2007) Better health, better care: action plan, Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Available from: www.scotland.gov.uk/publications
Wales Virtual Institute of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences is available at:
www.wishes-cymru.org