Get fitter and trim pounds off tax bill
“ADULT obesity will rise to 38 per cent by 2010” and “among children this is likely to rise to 19 per cent for girls and to 22 per cent for boys” (The top stories, Times Online, Aug 29).
The long-term results of obesity come at a huge cost — an estimated £29 billion a year in healthcare expenditure and lost productivity. The Government has recognised the problem, naming Caroline Flint the first Minister for Fitness. The link between health and activity is particularly important for the young. And for activity we need open space, play areas, sportsgrounds, parks — and inspirational leadership.
Will the Minister for Fitness be given the tools to do the job? Will the planning system protect playing fields and open spaces? School playing fields in England have benefited from protection through legislation in 1998 and 2004. But what about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? And how much could the country’s health bill be cut by more government expenditure on sport, play and activity? We hope the Minister can cut government bills by getting us all fitter.
Alison Moore-Gwyn,director, National Playing Fields Association
Patients prefer family doctor
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PATIENT choice seems to have been bypassed in Derbyshire when it came to deciding who would provide GP services to the people of Langwith (The top stories, Times Online, Aug 29).
The local primary care trust had awarded preferred bidding status to a private company in preference to bids from existing GP practices. The recent Appeal Court decision seems to show that proper public consultation did not take place. As a result, North Eastern Derbyshire Primary Care Trust must repeat the tendering process, this time seeking the views of local people, which seems to be in line with the Government’s intention to have a patient-centred NHS.
The British Medical Association supports patient choice, which time and again demonstrates that patients like having their own GP practice and place a high value on traditional family doctor services.
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Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman, British Medical Association GPs Committee
ID fraud is a serious crime
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ID FRAUD seems to be being underestimated by both the public and police (Why we should fear fraud, Times Online, Aug 29).
ID fraud and theft is a big problem and is growing almost daily. In fact one adult in four has been a victim of it. Yet 35 per cent of UK consumers do not shred their personal details. This is compounded by the fact that the police don’t see it as a priority crime, probably because ID fraud itself isn’t a criminal offence.
Consumers may also believe that it is a victimless crime because they won’t suffer financially. Yet ID fraud always ends up costing the consumer, at least in terms of the amount of time it can take to rectify details with banks, credit card companies and other lenders.
Some forces have started to take action against it, such as the Met and City of London Police, but all need to stop being complacent about the true value of an individual’s identity.
Neil Munroe, external affairs director, Equifax
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No need for compensation
THE Department of Health does not consider that there is any need to compensate social services departments (Authorities may get health funds, Aug 8). Local authority funding for adult social services is derived from a number of sources and the greater part of government funding for adult social care is allocated without conditions. This means that local authorities have flexibility to manage and direct their resources in accordance with the needs of the communities to which they are electorally accountable.
We are firmly committed to the principle that the NHS and social services work in partnership to provide services which meet the needs of local communities. The NHS has a legal responsibility to provide healthcare and nursing care which social services cannot provide — there should be no cost-shunting such that social services are required to offer services which are beyond their powers to provide.
Richard Murray, director, Financial Planning and Allocation, Department of Health